The Bearer

The bearer never falls into complete dormancy.

Even in winter’s half-sleep,
she twitches at small disturbances—
the faint crack of ice shifting in the soil.

She will always have leaves, 
even when her sap runs thin.

She will persevere in all conditions
regardless of her cracked skin and dry roots—
the slow ache of drought stress
pushing her forward.

She will always yearn for a singular drop, 
drawing it upward with a steady pull,
just to release it again 
to her cherished kin. 

She is most underappreciated, 
content to green in shadow.

The bearer is well-trained for this.

Hannah Rieger

Hannah is a senior Integrated Language Arts
major and an aspiring high school English teacher who hopes to share her love and inspiration for poetry with the world and her students. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you can find her on the couch with her kitty, Maki, reading a book.