Naturalization (a cento after Snighda Korala: Fragments on Naturalization)

Malus Sieversii,  
your tiny apple seeds 
spread long 
before I came.  

The Silk Road 
away from you 
tumid with 
less blood, grief.  

Ad Domestica,
the pale veil of a 
whole life waiting—
before that.    

(Malus sieversii is a wild apple native to the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan. It has recently been shown to be the primary ancestor of most cultivars of the domesticated apple (Ad Domestica).  Wikipedia

Find the inspirational poem at https://poets.org/poem-a-day