Christmas Cactus Warning

 

Without any water, it almost died; 

so funny for a cactus to need such— 

you’d think a cactus wants a dignified, 

sere existence with little human touch, 

yet that’s wrong, and assuming way too much. 

All plants photosynthesize—they require 

moisture, though cacti prefer the drier 

climates, like a desert, but in the home, 

sunlight (and windows) can create a fire- 

like aridity, a bone-dry hot zone. 

Alison Jennings is a Seattle-based poet. Over 70 of her poems have been published internationally in numerous journals.

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