*
A small perennial herb that is able to regenerate from
seemingly dead roots.
I planted us like periwinkle,
intending many seasons
of bloom, faith in eternity
in return. O friendship O wild
woman, how you left me a brittle
bog, burning. What was sweet as honey,
now wormwood, horehound, & no one
to hear the sibilance ignited like fire.
Teach me then, how to fury, how
to be the ally you need.
I will teach you what I know of love.
You are a wounded child,
& that chimneys my heart,
with knees in fecund earth,
we collect dew on our tongues,
a useless attempt to slake thirst
when what we need is water
from the skies, a deluge of goddesses
who bless us. Please friend,
let us not succumb to darkness.
The world wants us to fail.
We must prevail, for our daughters
& sons. Rise up, take my hand.
Let the bitterroot bloom forgiveness.
Bitterroot*
Alicia Elkort (she/her) has been nominated thrice for the Pushcart, twice for Best of the Net and once for the Orisons Anthology. Her first book of poetry, A Map of Every Undoing, was published in 2022 by Stillhouse Press with George Mason University, and she has been published in numerous journals and anthologies. She reads for Tinderbox Poetry Journal and works as a Life Coach and as an editor with Shiversong LLC. Alicia lives in Santa Fe, NM. For more info or to watch her two video poems: http://aliciaelkort.mystrikingly.com/