Saturday, May 7, 2011

A Tiny Plot of Land




















Photo: (c) Jamie K. Reaser

There is a tiny plot of land I tend:
miniature daffodils,
bearded iris,
spiderwort
at the base of bluebird box
on post,
frequented by generations
of Carolina chickadees.

Thick layers of shredded cedar mulch
invite hemlocks to headstart.
It pains me to pull them.
Relocation attempts have thus far failed –
their roots run deep.
I make apologies by the season.

Sometimes I venture a few feet
forward
or backward
or to the sides
and tend tiny plots of mown grass –
pick up sticks,
brush off leaves,
offer a neighborly “hello.”

But I always return
to my named plot –
sit for spell and ponder
or just sit.
Still.

Today, while planting a single-bloomed iris,
white,
vein-trimmed in deep royal purple…

Today it occurred to me that
no matter where I live
this two by three spread
will be the one plot of land that
I nurture the longest in this lifetime,
and with the most gratitude.

The blue ceramic urn below
no doubt
cracked open long ago.

It’s been sixteen years.

Happy Mother’s Day.

© 2011-2013/Jamie K. Reaser
From "Sacred Reciprocity: Courting the Beloved in Everyday Life." (www.hiraethpress.com)

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