Photo: V. Slotto
the great wheel of growth
on my knees, praying that great prayer of creation,
i turn dark, dank soil, inhale earth’s sweet-pungent scent,
pluck spent blooms to make way for new growth
and wrestle weeds.
around me, colors explode—buds unfurl.
a lady bug emerges from the depths of a peony
while bees delight, dance with lavender.
there it is (in the sacred sanctuary of my garden)
that peace enfolds me.
The title is a line in Mary Oliver’s Poem “Stanley Kunitz” published in “Dream Work,” 1986.
Shared today with dVerse Poetics. Today’s prompt is to write about our daily life. Since returning from the desert, I’ve been spending much time in my garden–hard, but fulfilling work.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 
Lovely — very intimate but also open and embracing.
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Sounds pretty great to me. Thanks. k.
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From one (ex)-gardener to another: chapeau! . You have encapsulated how I am feeling now about the exuberance of life burgeoning all around
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I can understand the joy of being there with your soil in the eart. Actually becoming part of the bloom and lady-bugs.. The smell and everything else – that’s wonderful and still down to,earth.
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“pluck spent blooms to make way for new growth”…the line seems to be an extended part of the prayer…beautiful…
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praying that great prayer of creation with the knees in the soil.. love this…there’s something magical in putting our hands to the soil – and something so peaceful as well
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Ah.. the peace of mind.. in understanding that all of creation is a seed.. and we are bloom of seasons to come again..:)
A garden of love is truth of all of reality..:)
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Putting your hands to the earth is definitely joining in the creation cycle. Tis that season as well. We worked the yard a bit this last weekend. The grape arbor is starting to green up as well. Love the little bug too, another bit of life–in the garden
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I like the way you show your connection with nature and creation through this poem, Victoria. You also reminded me of my mom’s love for her garden.
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I understand this very well, Victoria. There really is a peacefulness about being on one’s knees and working in the garden!
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You had me at /lady bug/; a lovely compact swath of your “every day”–wow the Gardening theme is King, or Queen, out on the trail for this prompt. I have a brown thumb; my wife is the happy gardener in our household.
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This is so beautiful, Victoria.
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It’s autumn here, and right now, cold and rainy. I’m away from home and my garden, but before I left, I planted out seedlings which I hope will be as blooming and full of bees as the garden you describe, Victoria, come our spring. Also, that’s the second reference to Mary Oliver I’ve come across in two days – I’d better check her out!
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