Today's poem is Irish Daisies by Nicole Manganelli. It is read by Samaa Abdurraqib.
Irish Daisies
People talk about heartbreak
like it is a monolith. The tsunami,
the bolt of lightning, the one
moment where it all turned to dust.
There is a quiet truth to heartbreak
(I am learning)
that treads softly and is easily missed.
Heartbreak is a weed—
common as the dandelion,
and just as unremarkable.
It crops up, sturdy and small,
and populates places
that seemed arid, uninhabitable.
Its seeds spread and settle.
It's in the way she blossoms
and she's dying: her generosity
expands to fill the empty space
of years and mistakes and things unsaid.
It's in her smiling tears as she tells me
how sad she is to leave us, but
how lucky she is, because so many people
have to do what she is doing alone.
Bitter greens surround
those cheerful nods of color
in the field.