8/25

this is a tiny
mutant
pepper

i have a bunch of these
growing on the little scrappy plants
that i started from seed
that never got into the ground
primarily because of lack of space

but i watered them
and all of a sudden
they have peppers

they touch me
these little malformed minatures
(actually one is kind of perfect
and about the size of my thumbnail)

they feel like the little voice inside me
that managed
despite being stifled
and somewhat ignored
for many years
to continue to do its thing
just waiting to be seen
and heard

it's that voice
that i started nurturing
when i began painting
that got very small
and lost again
during the renovation

it's the voice that is me