pine number 492 —
you’re an anthem,
love. i see you.
y’ain’t all thick like 496 but a lank
fierce fine little knobcone pine
tree sittin’ solid pretty on the
side of this nameless Big Bear
City not a through street
(the sign spiked through
490 reads.) with battered
branches busted bark —
you’re standing,
love. i see you.
Oakley Ayden (she/her) is an autistic, bisexual writer from North Carolina. Her poems appear in Ghost City Review, Not Very Quiet, Neologism Poetry Journal and elsewhere. She currently lives in California’s San Bernardino National Forest with her two daughters. Find her on Twitter (@Oakley_Ayden) or Instagram (@Oakley.Ayden).