The wild juniper Reaches Toward antiquity Praying For protection From rapturous wind From torrential fire On centennial's hillside On a mountain Of savage giants A fragile bonsai A child’s gnarled hand Yet to grasp Nor to let go Of living The sky An upended bowl Sometimes emptying out Crumbs of meteor For the eye’s awe Each day The ground Around its roots Inch One piece of sand Loose Rolling down To the sea That once formed The rock Where the juniper Stands overlooking That sea It cannot hear Dumbfound Inarticulate Storm-strong The juniper Rooted on night While below it Every doomsday Sailors drown
Alexander Perez began writing poetry in 2022 at age forty-eight. Since then, he has published in Blue Unicorn, South Florida Poetry Review, Queer Toronto Literary Magazine, and elsewhere. He has a chapbook entitled Immortal Jellyfish forthcoming in 2023 from Finishing Line Press. Alexander is a member of the Hudson Valley Writers Guild and resides in Upstate New York with his partner James. For more, feel free to visit perezpoetrystudio.com.
