A NEW LANGUAGE

Almost daily I find myself out in our yard talking to our plants… beans, tomatoes, carrots, Hibiscus, Photinia, the neighbor’s Freeway Daises and various others. I learned this initially from Roz. She talks to her plants and can get a little fussy with them if they get out of line.

I remember last Spring walking through a local orchard of peaches and apricots as they came into full bloom. I walked there daily until the bloom was finished. Everyday I talked to them and encouraged them to grow strong and juicy. I’m pretty sure I had my own motives for that conversation.

Before I ever talked to plants and trees… I listened to them. Since I was a little boy out in the country I would listen to animals, birds, trees and plants. I listened to them before I ever talked to them. It just seemed normal. It still does. I certainly never considered this unusual. Recently I read this quote by Joy Harjo, writer, musician and poet of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation:
“Remember the plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them; listen to them. The are alive poems.”

It could be that the plants, trees and critters were also the first to listen to me and talk to me reciting their poems.

“Consider how the lilies grow; they don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers.” Jesus