CHIA PET QUESTIONS

  by Leslie Clark

Where is it that Chia Pets go 
in the long, fallow season
from Christmas to Christmas?
Do they hibernate in their boxes
in some darkened warehouse space
ceramic bodies wasting away
to a ruin of hairline cracks?
Are they put to pasture on some
faraway field composed of chia-grass? 

Has there ever been a human
who opened an intriguing-looking box
covered with gilt paper,
saw the flat eyes of a Chia Pet staring at him
and whooped with glee?
Who watched breathlessly as the seeds
sprouted into a green, leafy coat?

How does one trim the “fur” 
of a Chia Pet?  Is there a tiny clipper
on sale somewhere designed for this purpose?
Does the owner have to improvise
with manicure scissors?
Or is the rule for Chia Pet coats
the shaggier the better?

Is the fur forever green,
or is the owner of a Chia Pet
forced to watch as his beloved’s coat
turns brown and sparse,
then falls to the table’s surface,
leaving behind a pathetic baldness?
Then what? Is there a special ceramic cemetery
for deceased Chia Pets? 
Perhaps a recycle bin,
another brief episode of greening
for every Chia Pet’s future.