Pinecestors
A poem by Juan Luzuriaga

Pinecestors

A brown pinecone decided to let go
freezing the resin hourglass,
slashing the body of the air,
etching brave and sacred lines,
looking at the needle bed without fear.

The giants lean over peering at me,
whispering in leaves
and trunk croaks and moans,
I searched the internal dictionary of my soul for definitions
and found none.

The giants open their arms
creaking and cracking in sways.
My eyes travel the long way up,
at the top I see a wise tree smiling at me.
Drop that dictionary and listen.

Time heats up
and the cone chants pollen on its way
to a symphonic crash into the orange needle bed
that marks a journey to the rooted place
and I’m finally home.

About the Author:

Juan Luzuriaga is a writer based in Merced, California. He was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and immigrated to the US in 2000. His interest lies in exploring a spiritual connection with his ancestors through prose and poetry. He teaches poetry in prisons and at California Poets in the Schools. He has been published in The Merced County Times (2022), The Vernal Pool (2021-22), Matchbox Magazine (2023), and Cholla Needles (2023).

Poetry Breakfast publishes a new poem every weekday morning.
If you’d like your poems considered for publication visit our Poetry Submissions page.

Follow Poetry Breakfast
Facebook