symbiosis

oxpeckers,
orange-beaked birds
picking ticks from hippos
breakfast buffet
and safe perch

coral protects algae
algae enable coral
to build scaffolding—
affiliations
that benefit both
delicate, balanced symbiosis

my fellow humans—
why
do we take without giving?
our gutted planet
holding us up
she is struggling to breathe
a heartrending job

I walk outside
lean my head back
feel late-November’s teeth
fresh and chill,
tempered by sunshine
each moment an exchange

2023 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.