Desert Dweller

About a year ago,
as an experiment,
I picked the most desiccated, shriveled pad
from a prickly pear cactus, placed it
in a terra cotta pot with sand, gravel,
and some potting soil,
then mostly ignored it.

Now it has straightened up,
with healthy new pads sprouting,
essentially resurrected.

I love him so much more
than an old, dead cactus pad,
and give him much more attention,
so why after fifteen years
can’t I resurrect my son?

© 2025 Bruno Talerico
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