June Henry
​milkweed

I wanna be the sunflower seed
Caught in your teeth
Don't spit me out of your warm mouth
There’s nowhere else for me
I know I'm sharp but I mean no harm
And I think I'm softening
Please let me stay just for a few days
Before you start brushin’

I do not serve to make you impure
I do not aim to agitate
I do not try to claw at your door
I see I'm peeling back the paint

Will you please be the sickness to me?
One I don't heal from
The kind that engulfs and makes me feel full
And garners attention

I will kiss you like real lovers do
Whenever you're lonely
I swear I'll be good and do what I should
And you don't have to love me

Just keep me around
I'll sleep in the yard with the milkweed
I won't make a sound
Until you call on me to speak