Seed

Consider fear.
Consider this watermelon seed
that sucks from the earth
a thousand times its weight in water.
Consider: when you swallow it,
it will grow inside you.
Consider the thunder
that wakes my wife screaming
even when she only dreams it.
Consider how she prays for rain without thunder.
Consider that I am lying to you,
that you want me to lie. Consider
the things under the bed,
the things beside you in the bed.
Consider the darkness. Consider
that each letter on this page
is a darkness.
Consider why you taste them or resist them.
Consider myths of fruition,
of rain without thunder, of things in the dark.
Consider spitting this seed out, consider
where it may fall.

copyright 2003 Eric Gardner