Reach

Between muted saltbush behind my grandma’s house,

you spread, tendrils unfolding in thin, bare tangles

under the pistachio shell ground.

Above you add vibrant flavor to the plain salad of flora,

plenty more appealing than the desert toned prickly pear.

While the New Mexico cedar and dropseed grass thrive alone,

you rely on the nurturing hands 

of those who crave your scorched leaves.