by Jillian Stacia
If the flowers had an eldest sister,
it would be the daffodil.
Shooting through the earth
with squeaky wheel grease
and buttercup grit. Over
eager and overzealous,
Daffodil digs her roots
into the dark dirt, claws
her way to the top
soil, and unfurls at the slightest
hint of sun – the most gorgeous
overachiever. When the frost
comes – and always, the frost
does come – she bends at the stem,
folds forward, serenades the soil
with songs of spring. She is weathered
but refuses to wilt, the hardiest
of petals. After all, someone
has to go first. Like any good sister,
she regrets nothing.
Jillian wants to live in a world where the coffee is bottomless and the sweatpants are mandatory. She spends her days crafting creative copy for clients in numerous industries and is known for her work in Children's Programming. Her poetry and creative nonfiction essays have been featured in Remington Review, Coffee & Crumbs, The Raven's Muse, and Gypsophila Zine. When she's not writing, Jillian can be found snuggling with her two adorable children and cheering on the Baltimore Ravens.