Coltrane
five hundred forks in the road all fractaling off
a spiritual white guy in my phone tells me
to remember how none of this is real
and you
there’s a statue of shiva surrounded
by cosmic fire in your garden
there’s one of buddha meditating too
you let weeds grow around the enlightened
you complain to me about how it doesn’t feel the same as it used to
how you’re scared it might never
look
i can’t teach you how to pray in the dirt
it’ll grab you
baring its teeth if it must
sure its been eons of dudes chasing god
it’s kind of the history of everything right
i just think
you either
get mauled by the bear or you don’t
Haley Hopkins is a botanist and herbalist working in Los Angeles, CA. Their writing practice centers around communing with the natural world as a way to alchemize emotions and craft survival mechanisms to carry us forward. conduiting.substack.com or instagram @sequesteredjester