Mother of Thousands

Our friend Charles gave us this
Kalanchoe, which now has shot up
in its brown ceramic pot 
like a Christmas tree a-dangle with
plantlets along each leaf's margin.  
Round as drops of paint, smaller
by more than half the size of a pea,
they let down their roots
wherever they drop off 
into surrounding soil. Propagate 
is the word that's used to describe
such a process—every tiny life
needing to be spread like truth 
into the new wilderness of 
our burning cities.