childlike affinity

I got a small cactus
From a local greenhouse
when I was ten


I heard an older woman talking about
How hideous it was
to an unresponsive husband
and it made me feel bad
for the little plant

because it was alive
and it didn't mind if I talked to it
the way people did.
And to be honest, I even found its sharp spines
and unique form
quite beautiful.

I kept it on my nightstand
and I gave it a name

I made sure to water it every day,
but I drowned it with my love
and I was heartbroken when my tiny
little green companion
turned to mush and died.