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| Organic Green Seedlings, Photo by D Sharon Pruitt |
First do no harm:
I pretend to doctor
while transplanting seedlings gently from their
starter pods into larger containers.
I praise each delicate tomato and
pepper, pea and bean, squash and cucumber
as I surround its roots with dark brown land.
I fortified this soil with leaves, grass, pressed
coffee grounds, potato peelings and fruit
rinds ~ turned over and over to face sun.
Drink, I say while
sprinkling water on rows;
drink, I say while
stepping out of sun’s way.
Drink, I tell bees
when open blossoms glow.
Together we maintain our small domain,
sustain
life and healthy balance retain.
Copyright © 2015 S.L.Chast
This was absolutely wonderful Susan :D loved the spirit and energetic flow of this poem!
ReplyDeleteTogether we maintain our small domain,
sustain life and healthy balance retain.
Beautifully penned..!
Lots of love,
Sanaa
I agree the flow was very inviting.
DeleteThere is so much delight in growing things. Each plant a child to nurture and mature. It is winter here now but come spring we will see!
ReplyDeletethe only way to breathe life into our weary planet...these hands are the most needed at this hour....
ReplyDeleteWe need to bring back the green to this planet, else the future would be too dark. Well penned poem :-)
ReplyDeleteI love that refrain of 'drink, drink, drink'..i love how this piece works as a metaphor of what it means to nurture...what i love more is the image i had of you tending your garden...if we nurture ourselves and the little patches of earth that surround us cumulatively the world may well be a healthier and happier place..
ReplyDeleteDoing one's bit to sustain the continuance of edible greens for the sake of the human species. Certainly a noble act, Susan!
ReplyDeleteHank
How I love this! The most hopeful sustainability of all. You remind me of my friend Chris, who said she was moved to tears, as she pressed a tiny sprout into its bed in her floating greenhouse, it looking up to her as trustingly as an infant........I got this same feeling from your poem. I have not felt settled enough to plant my usual porch tubs this year. But now, thanks to your poem, perhaps I might........
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful poem, Susan. We should all try to plant as many trees as possible. We must nurture Nature, the way it nurtures us. Happy Environment Day :)
ReplyDeleteThis paints a picture of such tender care, Susan. A beautiful poem X
ReplyDeleteoh yes as we do a tiny little part i like the aspect of praise
ReplyDelete"I praise each delicate tomato and
pepper, pea and bean, squash and cucumber
as I surround its roots with dark brown land.'
much love...
The simplicity you write about is what I think will ultimately sustain this earth. My husband just came in, all sweaty and dirty from his work - planting an organic garden. Bless all the gardeners!
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteA most considerate stance with regard to seeking both personal fulfilment and creating another generation of sustainable food produce and plants with a future, if in the care of the right stewartship..We are only lent...
Eileen
Great poem. The need for care in the land tosustain it is something people forget.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's very neat. This is what I procrastinate....transplanting to larger containers...thanks for reminder :)x
ReplyDeleteI love the tenderness in this, contained in the straightforward, detailed recounting of these actions.
ReplyDeleteHow sad it is for those who have not had the experience of planting and watching things grow. We have urban guerillas here who plant out wasteland areas. Magical poem...planting these small vulnerable shoots are a testament to the Divine...a kind of prayer if you like !
ReplyDeleteSpeakign as a fellow gardener, Susan, your poem won me over from its first stanza. I think anyone who gets their hands dirty in a garden and tries to grow their own food is an immediate convert for conservation and sustainability and the environment. Wonderful poem!
ReplyDelete