by Tamika L. Hughes

It was a Friday some months back when 

I had my first taste. 

Summer, so my limbs were exposed, 

vulnerable to ticks. 

I remember thinking, “best be 

quick, 

purposeful.” 

Now, 

uprooted trees, 

those partially stripped of bark, 

some barely clothed with any, 

exposed, prone, 

moist earth, hiding and seeking with the sun 

amid freshly fallen leaves offering 

fresh promises of longevity 

for today’s exploration, one 

not so quick 

not so purposeful, 

drawing my attention inward to a different vulnerability, 

a tangle of roots 

gradually replacing those old, brittle, damaged by memory, 

twisting together with newfound resolve, 

propelling me forward, 

lifting me up, 

bringing new meaning 

to the brightness staring at me through the thinning trees, 

beyond my perch in this waning shadow, 

where I rest 

re-rooted. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tamika L. Hughes is a poet and product manager born and raised in Philadelphia. Since childhood she has been writing poetry and observing nature to find new ways to interpret the world and her place in it. From running or hiking in the Pennypack and Wissahickon park systems to kayaking in Lake Galena and Neshaminy Creek comes a love for witnessing nature and its changes through the seasons. 

Mirroring her professional work to discover problems, implement solutions and learn throughout the process, Tamika writes poetry to record her witnessing of nature and the learnings that inspire her personal growth. 

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Phoebe Rothfeld is an illustrator and designer who grew up on a diet of fantasy books. She works across a wide range of mediums, and always strives to inspire imagination, empathy, and openness through visual stories. She received her MFA in illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design, and is currently creating her own stories that are slightly dark, slightly fantastical, and entirely hopeful. 

Website: https://www.phoeberothfeld.com/  

Instagram: @p.airlia