Exceptional A Free Verse Why by Jessica Wheeler Free Verse Poetry Contest contest entry Artwork by Charlotte Morse at FanArtReview.com

In this unforgiving, barren land, I grow from roots that grip the parched and arid earth.   Spared by a relentless sun, I am allowed to rise. Yet this pardon I must question. I've asked for no such mercy to endure this heat and howling wind to not merely survive- but to bloom. I fear a coming catch, a price unspoken, a toll unseen, against which I must guard. A shield of distrust surfaces, sharp, defensive spikes among the flowers that dare show color here. And I remain resilient, wary and wondering why.   Recognized Author Notes This piece was inspired by reflections on survivor's guilt.

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