ink-splattered sky dome stitches twilight dreams.
cathedral without a roof pews sprawling ferns and
towering redwoods, eucalyptus bark oracles
etched with stories only the wind can read.
giant guardians wrapped in misty shroud.
earth perfume clings to the skin like light storms
through labyrinth of leaves, spilling down in soft beams
breathing shivers with each passing breeze.
curled edges of mummified book, rock eroded into sculptures
litter kisses of petrichor gleaming in trail shadow marches.
fossil relic witnesses pulsing music of the land beneath them.
hawk circle wings slice sky with glinting feathers of wind.
bone invocation echoes through forest, owl vigilance of the nocturnal.
endless blue canvas stretched above dark pools of leaves rustling.
groaning rhythm of slumber complements cricket chirps alive with the
soft padding of deer hooves on the forest floor as the planet exhales.
—
Jovina Zion Pradeep is the Youth Poet Laureate of Alameda County (2024-25), an editor at Blossomer Literary Magazine and at Polyphony Lit. Her poetry is forthcoming or published at The Wave, The Louisville Review, Tri City Voice, Moonstone Arts Center New Voices Anthology, San Francisco Youth Anthology, The Howl, SeaGlass Literary, and The Dungeness Press. When she is not writing or taking photographs, you can find her singing, reading mythology or listening to music.
