Personify Me

The trees speak in Shakespearean sonnets;
The tulips write short memoirs.
The honeysuckles smell of metaphors and similes,
Vines are smirking complex sentences.

The sun has these exotic eyes—
The moon tells of faraway lands;
The ocean never leaves you…
Grass has flushed secrets.

This earth keeps you stirring coffee.
The seeds have this hope you only see in newborns,
The branches love how all the seasons treat them with respect.
Waves let you be yourself.

The gardenia makes you altruistic.
The plants surround you with conversation
The sky watches over your insecurities,
Mountains sense your fears and embrace you.

The rivers turn to dictionaries—
The deserts unfold unwritten novels,
You are this somber, mirthful universe,
Another particle rising inside the gust
A bursting spirit in a lament of bones.

Christina Strigas is a trilingual poet, raised by Greek immigrants, and has written three poetry books. Her latest, Love & Vodka, has been featured by CBC Books in, “Your Ultimate Canadian Poetry List: 68 Poetry Collections Recommended by you.”

She is currently working on her fourth upcoming poetry book, Love & Metaxa.

In her spare time, Christina enjoys foreign cinema, reading the classics, and cooking traditional Greek recipes that have been handed down from her grandmother.