Prompt: ‘The Earth Shakes’ by Steve Sanfield

The earth shakes
just enough
to remind us.

My video response:

My written response to Madelynne’s video:

How could something
so beautiful be so
bad for you?

It’s sitting there
in a field of green,
reaching for the sun.

You’re drawn to it,
for it looks innocent,
blinded by beauty.

So, you lean down
to touch it, fingers
brushing against petals.

Now it’s got you in
its grips, tendrils
hooked to your veins.

The poison is spreading
fast, sinking its roots
into your brain.

Like a leech it sucks
your blood away,
leaving you drained.

Your body starts to
wither, your limbs
and organs decay.

And then, it leaves you
there to die, rotting
from the inside out.