Poem of the week: Family Tree by Jeffery D. McCaleb

Family Tree

The gene pool is leaking. There’s a crack in its concrete foundations.

The Family Tree’s roots have nowhere else to creep.

All the crevices, all the nooks and crannies,

All the small spaces and places of this globe have been spanned.

The gene pool is leaking. There’s a crack in its concrete foundations.

My grandparents’ grandparents planted a seed, an unknown variety.

“Here. Chew on this chickweed and harvest time will be stress-free.”

“Your grandmother takes nerve pills. It’s nothing too serious.”

The gene pool is leaking. There’s a crack in its concrete foundations.

The Family Tree’s branches have kept shade over the homestead,

Fed the children of others’ children, vacated its leaves for many seasons.

It's nearly time to wilt & bow out, no more barked & rooted mutations.

The gene pool is leaking from the cracking chasm of its red clay foundations.

All the pots & pans catching all the drip, drip, drippings

& there's no one left to dump their fills off into the back porch muck.

The gene pool is empty.

- jeffery d. mccaleb

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