The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!
The Bramble’s Song of Survival
by Alex Grehy
Trash piled on rubbish
until every cubic metre
of soil and water was
transformed.
.
We brambles made the best of things.
.
We, who understand
Autumn’s privations,
grow red, already
utilising the toxins you
left for our roots to absorb.
.
We who understand
Winter’s bite
edge our leaves
with broken glass
mined from the landfill,
pretty as hoarfrost,
sharp as razors.
.
We who understand
the seasons’ closing,
at world’s end,
gorge on what you
threw away, thoughtless.
You and yours cannot
devour us now,
toxic as we have become.
.
Starving, you scrabble for
food. Wailing that this
future was unforeseen, as if
your complex animal bodies
had ever been able to adapt
fast enough for the noxious
world you created. You cannot
assimilate anything and everything,
as we do, to survive
.
We brambles made the best of things,
But we don’t think you can.
.
Fiction © Copyright Alex Grehy
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
More from author Alex Grehy:

After a lifetime of writing technical non-fiction, Alex Grey is fulfilling her dream of writing poems and stories that engage the reader’s emotions. Her work has been featured by a wide range of publications including Siren’s Call, Raconteur, Bookends Review, and Toasted Cheese. One of her comic poems is also available via a worldwide network of public fiction dispensers managed by French publisher, Short Edition. Her ingredients for contentment are narrow boating, greyhounds, singing and chocolate. It is a sweet life, yet Alex’ original view of the world has led to her best friend to say ‘For someone so lovely, you’re very twisted!
Please click here to discover more!
Bravo for the message in your fine poem, Alex!
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