Last week I threw out my succulents.
There was no funeral.
Traces of dirt marked the glass,
Evidence of my failed efforts.
Maybe I tried too much.
Maybe I shouldn’t have tried two.
Much to my surprise,
The pair of little plants did not thrive.
Together they lived in the shadows.
Trapped in a valley, both were left in want,
Then death.
The waters were plenty, but still,
Like a barren pasture, both were left in want,
Then death.
They could not maintain their original green glory,
And withering came with no restoration.
No plant could dwell in my house,
For more than a few days.
Mercifully,
I resolved to change my ways.
For fallen leaves and potpourri,
My thumb need not be green.
—
Ikeoluwa Adeyemi ’19 is a Sociology concentrator in Lowell House.