We often have, my dear husband and I
a difference of opinion
in the garden
and thank goodness really,
as how boring would we be otherwise
I have a great affection for the things that roam
rather
freely
self-seed, grow up and through
I happen to like things that grow
together
that support and enhance each other’s
natural existence and
beauty,
don’t really like bare, open spaces
as you well know, I like kindness, I like love
I also like a peaceful, undisturbed sort of
landscape, and he
thankfully, to some extent
does as well
we tend to work out any differences
with
compromise for the most part
where he will rip things out while (he thinks) I am not looking
and I will… on occasion
adapt to his ideas of the necessity of
cutting things back and
letting go
allows for a pretty good partnership, I think
What I like most about the flowers and my gardens
I suppose,
is the complete lack of judgement
you will find
here
there is no better, or best
no ideas of impossible perfection
no real
favourites
nor any wish to control
you will see holes chewed in leaves
stems that have curled
apples with
spots
makes them no less sweet to those that
wish to gather
quite rarely do we ward off any pests
(although occasionally you might hear me
speaking rather harshly to the Japanese beetles through gritted teeth)
instead, often we marvel at just how
things adapt, recover, overcome
nature’s great strength, when given
half a chance
nor does the wildness of my small patch
look scornfully at the neighbour’s
much more
manicured bit of loveliness
never would I wish us to all be
exactly the same
as people, we are not always
so kind
we do like our opinions
our comparisons, and our judgements
we think we know
best
always I wonder, how this
serves
to cast judgement on another
to what
gains
never would I expect the phlox
to become more like
a black-eyed susan, or the rose
like a dandelion, just because
they have grown
together for years
each adorned by their own particular
colour, nature, sense of
dress
there is that thing, you know
about a flower
being brave enough
to open itself to the world
at all
not knowing whether it will be
met by
the gentleness of a bright sky shining
or something much more
forbidding
waiting to cast its shadow
yet wherever it finds itself
it opens
still
naïve or just trusting I guess,
in the
merciful compassion
of those
that choose the path
of graciously
causing no
harm
this, I will tell you
the path of my existence
is always, where
I will
begin
taking my steps ♥