Today as I wandered amongst the rocks near the Sugar Bush trail I was reminded of the words of a poem that a friend gave me a few weeks back. It was seeing these shoots pushing up through the earth and reaching for the sunlight that struck me and reminded me of the entirety of their annual journey. Normally I anticipate this spring part of their cycle – the full blooms of these lovely trilliums and dog toothed violets – and tend to overlook the fullness of their life cycle. This poem reminded me to pause and more fully appreciate all that takes place in order to provide me the gift of their spring beauty.
The full poem is below.
To Be of the Earth
To be of the earth is to know
the restlessness of being a seed
the darkness of being planted
the struggle toward the light
the joy of busting and bearing fruit
the love of being food for someone
the scattering of your seeds
the decay of the seasons
the mystery of death
and the miracle of birth.
John Soos
