i know
that conflict is a fact of life
it is everywhere
but cruelty is almost exclusively human.
it does seem at times that other members of the
animal kingdom share that predilection but
certainly not to the same degree
and certainly they claim no righteous vendetta
as they deliberately try to destroy life.
i can
think of no plant that could be labeled cruel.
are some voracious and domineering?...absolutely
manipulative or seductive?...without question
but the way i see it, conflict in the garden is
mostly just a struggle to understand
and balance my impact
on the complex interrelationships that exist there:
of all the plants i meet and am seduced by...and
must have...what are the ones that want to grow here?
even the least of my efforts are...more often than
not...rewarded with marvelous wonders.
nature's generosity far outweighs any knowledge and
insight i have so far acquired.
some of the humblest plants remind me that
life is a force, a reality
that simply cannot be destroyed.
blades of grass
weeds
pierce the deepest layers of asphalt and concrete.
almost any garden
any small handful of stems leaves and blossoms
can
for those who stop and breathe and look...
restore some portion of our strength or
spirit that the world has tried to take away...
especially
for those who labor there.
i guess
it is another big reason that...for me...
working in the garden
feels like a step closer to home.
Heavenly Grass
My feet took a walk in heavenly grass.
All day while the sky shone clear as glass.
My feet took a walk in heavenly grass,
All night while the lonesome stars rolled past.
Then my feet come down to walk on earth,
And my mother cried when she give me birth.
Now my feet walk far and my feet walk fast,
But they still got an itch for heavenly grass.
But they still got an itch for heavenly grass.
Tennessee Williams
