In this unforgiving
barren land,
I grow–
from roots that grip
the parched and arid earth.

Spared
by a relentless sun,
I am allowed to rise.

Yet this pardon
I must question.
I've asked for no such mercy,
defying heat, enduring wind
not merely surviving
but blooming.

I fear a coming catch,
a price unspoken,
a toll unseen,
against which I must guard.

A shield of distrust
surfaces,
sharp, defensive spikes
among the flowers
that dare show color here.

And I remain
resilient,
wary and wondering
why.