“I Am Vertical
But I would rather be horizontal.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil
Sucking up minerals and motherly love
So that each March I may gleam into leaf,
Nor am I the beauty of a garden bed
Attracting my share of Ahs and spectacularly painted,
Unknowing I must soon unpetal.
Compared with me, a tree is immortal
And a flower-head not tall, but more startling,
And I want the one's longevity and the other's daring.”
― The Collected Poems
But I would rather be horizontal.
I am not a tree with my root in the soil
Sucking up minerals and motherly love
So that each March I may gleam into leaf,
Nor am I the beauty of a garden bed
Attracting my share of Ahs and spectacularly painted,
Unknowing I must soon unpetal.
Compared with me, a tree is immortal
And a flower-head not tall, but more startling,
And I want the one's longevity and the other's daring.”
― The Collected Poems
Hera ’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Hera ’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Art, Classics, Contemporary, Gay and Lesbian, History, Horror, Humor and Comedy, Music, Mystery, Philosophy, Poetry, Psychology, Science, and Travel
Polls voted on by Hera
Lists liked by Hera
































