“a boy named heliotrope”
heliotrope sprouts from
the palms of his hands,
the dirt sifting between
his thin fingertips;
eternal love in the shape
of little pale clusters.
when he touched me
the earth sang in rejoice;
every kiss buried me
deeper within the soil.
i loved him in the way
the flowers love the bees
and the trees love the birds:
naturally, as if i’d loved
him my entire life.
his affection planted
a home beneath my feet,
blooming different colors
that he made into
a crown for me.
but heliotrope also
symbolizes devotion—
if not to me, then
the fruit that he bears.
what once was birch
has plunged acacia
down into my roots
until i become one
with the reddish bark of
immortal, unrequited love.
i love him in the way
the flowers love the bees
and the trees love the birds,
in which bees must move on
and birds must fly away—
naturally yearning for him
to find my heart in the
overgrown foliage,
to come back and tell me:
“my darling, forgive me,
for nature marches on.
seasons change, life dies,
winter falls cold and heavy.
but like a bee makes honey
and birds make their nests,
spring brings abundance again.
heliotrope sprouts from
the palms of our hands,
proof that love will sift away
only to plant itself and grow.”
Ennie Marie Dacut Ilasco (she/her) is a current student and mental health advocate of San Diego State University majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies. She is the creator and president of the mental health organization The Bandage Project. When she is not working on school or the Project, she loves to paint, learn languages, and write poetry and prose. You can find her on Instagram at @ennie.marie and her organization @bandageproject.