Pollen Dust

John Poitier Jr.

I stamp my foot into the earth,

And they rise in a 

Little mushroom cloud,

Then settles on my shoe in 

Little decisions of golden spots.

Born from the cusps of Spring,

They are here, they are Suns,

Then they fade, and they’re gone.

You lift your foot from my memories,

And it rises in a 

Little sea of sadness,

Then settles on my cheeks in,

Little decisions of a broken spirit.

Born from the cusps of Death,

You were here, you were a star,

Then you shine, just too far.

They fall from the flowers, in twos and sevens,

Drift for a second on 

The kiss of the wind,

The loss of each other their only sin,

Little decisions of a lover’s quarrel,

To forgo the next, and forsake tomorrow.

Born from the lips of love,

They are here, they are gods,

Then they die, and they’re just one of us.

We fall from life, in ones and halves,

Drift for a second on,

The regrets within, 

The denial of a dream- our only sins.

Little decisions of an inevitable fate,

Our purposes realized, one second too late.

Born from the hands of love,

We are here, a moment, in time, nothing more,

Then we die, and we are. 

We just are.

About the Author

John Shaquille Poitier Jr., Virginia State University

John Shaquille Poitier Jr. is a Bahamian-born author, poet, and honors biology major at Virginia State University. He is the author of Mangoes in the Summertime, The Birds, and Son of Elohim, blending themes of faith, identity, and mental health. His work bridges science and storytelling, aiming to heal and inspire across disciplines and cultures.