When protesters lie on the ground
it is called a die-in
and this is the tactic used
by my blue blotch pansies
when I’ve absentmindedly deprived them
of water. Before misting,
I try to pick out the ones
just taking a knee. I know
there must be at least one
who has gotten plenty of water,
in fact, is drunk on it:
thick roots, muscular petals;
the water having pooled
in his little side of the pot. He,
who is not even thirsty,
but lies down anyway
because his neighbors’ suffering is his own.
John Wojtowicz grew up working on his family’s azalea and rhododendron nursery and still lives in the backwoods of what Ginsberg dubbed “nowhere Zen New Jersey.” Currently, he teaches social work at Rowan College South Jersey. Recent or forthcoming publications include: Rattle, New Ohio Review, Sonora Review, and The Ekphrastic Review. He is the author of the chapbook, Roadside Attractions: a Poetic Guide to American Oddities. Find out more at: www.johnwojtowicz.com.