1. Some valedictory words from Eileen Myles: “I hope there’s mystery and poetry in your life—not even poems, but patterns. I hope you can see them. Often these patterns will wake you up, and you will know that you are alive, again and again.”

The Grasshopper on the Sunflower

Yesterday, I walked past a sunflower.

Tall, unexpected—growing between the sidewalk and the street.

It caught my eye, but I kept walking.

Today, I passed it again.

This time, I slowed down—just a little.

And that’s when I saw it:

A red-legged grasshopper, perched quietly on the stem.

The sunflower got my attention.