Reading before my Peppery and Earthy friends by gillian harding-russell

July 24, 2023
Poem title: Reading before my Peppery and Earthy friends Poet name: gillian harding-russell Poem: Nasturtiums I’ve secretly seeded in a lighted back bedroom in the dark of the house during the gloom of winter and the drear of a world’s disease are sprouting leggy seedlings well ahead of spring. A Nordic window affords enough light to give these headstrong ones life: the nasturtium nymphs-to-be with springy palms of round leaves dancing on slender childlike stems doing a pas-de-chat with articulate style and stigma and anther while dreaming their gold- and orange- and red-drenched silken-petal souls into being. Beside them in the long white plantar I planted red chilis already flickering a row of green tongues on black topsoil. I suspect the nasturtiums turn their heads (one arched-nostril flower-visage-to-be a speck of yellow bud) to argue with the hot-tempered chilis so when I come to them with my thoughts unguarded, I have to be careful or I might be challenged but when I stand before their nodding heads to read a poem they tend to listen – well, if it interests them, though a slur or skipped word they pick up instantly. Yes, those pepperish capo friends and hot disposed relatives with capuchin views are harshest critics and may take issue with something I never thought about so I’ve found myself staring embarrassedly at a round-faced leaf’s WHA-AT? and so when I thought all was clear as day I must find another way to say it But then the chilis, seeing my distress titter under their still-green-leaf, hottish breath. End of poem. Credits and bio: Copyright © gillian harding-russell Previously published in Grain magazine (winter no 50.2, 2023). A poet, editor, and reviewer, gillian harding-russell, has five poetry published, the most recent In Another Air (Radiant Press, 2018) and Uninterrupted (Ekstasis Editions, 2020). Both full-length poetry collections were shortlisted for Saskatchewan Book Awards. In 2016, a poem sequence Making Sense won first prize in Exile’s Gwendolyn MacEwen Chapbook Award competition. Also, a short chapbook, Megrim was released by The Alfred Gustav Press in 2021. She lives on Treaty 4 territory.