Good morning Gentle Reader. Recently I have been reflecting upon Antonio Machado’s challenging poem which ends with: What have you done with the garden entrusted to you? Yesterday morning as I was reading Tolstoy’s epic novel ‘War and Peace’ I was reflecting upon the characters he was introducing us to. Each person is a garden and each person is the gardener of his or her garden. As I was thinking of each person I noticed a poem emerging into my consciousness. I put Tolstoy down, opened up my journal, took pen in hand and began to write.
This morning, Gentle Reader, I have decided to share with you the poem that emerged into my consciousness. A gift from Machado and Tolstoy to me and a gift from me to you.
The Gardener’s Seeds (Richard W Smith, 17 September, 2020)
One day the Gardener looked into the mirror and studied the face of the Garden entrusted to the Gardener.
A question emerged: How is the health of the Garden that has been entrusted to you?
The question startled the Gardener into awareness.
The awareness brought, not comfort, but comfort’s sibling, disturbance.
A question emerged: What are the seeds you have sown and nurtured to life in the garden of your soul – why those seeds?
More awareness. More disturbance.
A question emerged: What are the seeds you chose not to sow – why those seeds?
More awareness. More disturbance.
The Gardner stood aware and disturbed, riveted by the mirror-eyes that are the pathway to one’s soul.
The Gardener’s mirror-eyes invited, or was it challenged, the Gardener to consider these seeds: empathy, compassion, nonjudgement, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, kindness, nonviolence, unconditional positive regard for all, patience, love, respect for all and understanding.
More awareness. More disturbance.
The Gardner was about to turn away from looking into those mirror-eyes, when they whispered, ‘Wait! There is another question.’
The whispered-question was offered: Which of the following seeds have you sown and nurtured into life: self-violence, rashness, non-forgiveness, spite, jealousy, revenge, prejudice, closed-mindedness, non-reconciliation, ignorance, greed, self-centeredness and misunderstanding.
More Awareness. More disturbance.
The Gardener, full of awareness and disturbance, turned from the mirror-eyes and began to walk away.
With each step taken awareness and disturbance slowly faded away.