Sunburst Lichen

Valerie Sopher

tiny goldenrod cups cling to bark
of bare tree, branches etched
against winter sky
fungal filament fingers extend, attach
saffron dust scatters on nesting birds

we, two disparate beings
live together more or less
intimately, but when the time comes
for us to unravel
I will go on without you and you
will search for someone else
to cleave to

birds fly off, sun glinting on golden wings
while we hold on, wait for the inevitable

The Science

Lichens are comprised of two separate organisms - fungi and alga - that need each other to survive. The alga makes food for the fungi by turning sunlight and carbon dioxide into sugars. The fungi house the alga and grows fungal threads into the alga to receive nutrients the alga provides. Fungus, the dominant partner in the relationship, can reproduce spores. In lichens, alga cannot reproduce and must find another partner or perish. Lichen attaches to a substrate, such as rock or tree, by fungal filaments or a central peg. I believe the type of bright yellow-orange lichen that served as inspiration for this poem is of the Xanthoria genus, commonly known as sunburst lichen. It is found on bark in foggy areas. 

The Poet

Valerie Sopher wishes she had taken more science classes in school. She is grateful to, Canary, Caustic Frolic, SLANT Poetry, Quiet Diamonds (finalist, 2022 contest), Science Write Now, and Wingless Dreamer (contest winner ‘Dawn of the Day’), among others, for publishing her work and to the Ina Coolbrith Circle for honors bestowed. Her first chapbook, Day for Night, will be published by The Orchard Street Press in 2023. She is a singing quilter and retired lawyer who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Next poem: Symbiocene by Sue Dymoke