The runner bean I planted at dusk
formed tight coils of vine by morning,
green circles grasping a nearby pole
like a newborn’s firm-handed grip.
A parent’s sturdy arm says
“I am here
to help you grow.
Reach around me,
and follow me up.
This way, this way.”
In time, the bean plant grows
and tops the pole.
Unfolding a hundred
broad leaves she says,
“Look, I found the light.
It is here,
and here,
Emilie Lygren is a nonbinary poet and outdoor educator whose work emerges from the intersections between scientific observation and poetic wonder. Her first book of poetry, What We Were Born For, was chosen by the Young People’s Poet Laureate as the February 2022 Book Pick for the Poetry Foundation. She lives in California, where she wonders about oaks and teaches poetry in local classrooms. Find more of her work and words at emilielygren.com.