Seed
Kindly gardener frees as
freeze subsides. Warm,
unfurled, gives thanks.
Once shallow engraved,
its green now etches top
soil, a sign life continues
after fall. Dry, miniscule,
forgotten in an icy sleep,
its purpose suspended,
put in a packet, shelved,
until sold as commodity.
032425: snow still left at 4:22pm
The photo is of a stevia seed that sprouted overnight. Last year we walked a small garden at Blandford Nature Center and tasted fresh stevia from it. I was determined to find stevia seeds for sale and did. Next to the sprout is a fresh bell pepper seed for size comparison. With the poem, I had the first 3 lines at the end but moved them to the top. Not sure which works better?
Kim is today’s host at dVerse’ Quadrille Monday. Kim would like us to write a 44-word poem using the word engrave.
UPDATE: Thank you, everyone, for the feedback on line placement. Alexandra inspired me to repeat the 3 lines, once at the beginning and once at the end. I love it!
Seed
Kindly gardener frees as
freeze subsides. Warm,
unfurled, gives thanks.
Once shallow engraved,
its green now etches top
soil, a sign life continues
after fall. Dry, miniscule,
forgotten in an icy sleep,
its purpose suspended,
put in a packet, shelved,
until sold as commodity.
Kindly gardener frees as
freeze subsides. Warm,
unfurled, gives thanks.
Tao Talk 
Like a prayer told as a story to nature itself…
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Good way of describing it, Ain. Thanks much.
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A great photo, Lisa! I’m so happy that your seed sprouted, and I love that you wrote a poem about it. I think the lines at the beginning of the poem belong there, and love the way you includes not only the prompt word but one of its synonyms in the lines:
‘Once shallow engraved,
its green now etches top
soil…’
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Kim, thanks so much. I left the pic at full resolution instead the usual shrinking so it would come through clearly. Thank you for noticing the synonym :)
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My pleasure, Lisa.
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I look forward to all the great things sprouting.
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Bjorn, I’ve been rolling an idea around in my head about how witnessing a sprout emerge from the soil brings joy is programmed into our genes.
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Thats lovely. Now what do you do with stevia leaves? Do you just grind them up or??
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We just chewed small pieces in the garden and got the sweetness of them. Not sure yet, but will share what is learned along the way.
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As freeze subsides … just wonderful. The commodifying of just about everything can be tiresome. But one has to eat!
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Petru, thank you. I wish you could see how tiny the seeds are and how few and how much money they cost ($3/15 seeds) but I did learn they are perennials, so if I get even one plant out of them it will be worth it.
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i’m also curious what you do with your stevia– dry the leaves to sweeten tea?
and i think the first 3 lines work equally well whether at the beginning or the end. however, when i read them at the beginning, i read it as a farmer raising the seeds to then sell the plant. when i read the 3 lines at the end, i feel as though the plant has been “saved” from the shelf and then planted in someone’s personal garden. (but i would not have thought twice about how you placed the poem on your site had you not asked the question above– beautiful either way!)
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oh that’s cheeky of you to ask. Did the seed come first or the sprout? Works both ways, but it’s good to think about :)
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The floral chicken and the egg? :) Yes, good to think about!
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I think it works either way. What a wonderful surprise in any case! (K)
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Thanks for the feedback, K. Yes, it was :)
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My husband is a Seed Guardian. This poem of yours really captures the magic of seeds.
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Kim, will you please say more about your husband’s “calling”?
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He grows food crops and saves their seed for a seed bank. Each year he is given a specific crop to grow. We received our allotted seed a few weeks ago. These are non commercial varieties that would otherwise be lost.
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That sounds like a wonderful calling, Kim. It could literally save the planet!
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Exactly! So many people don’t understand why he does it….
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What’s that saying about a prophet will never be honored in his own country?
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So great to see new life sprouting and coming through. I saw my peas I planted earlier coming through today after a light rain! Well done.
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There is something magic about transformation.
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Yes!
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I think the last three lines work better at the top it helps set the tone of the poem. Nice to see something sprouting.
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Thanks for the feedback, Truedessa. I sprayed it with a water bottle and knocked it over :( Hoping it recovers
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Hi! Trying to grow my blog. Follow for follow back? Sincerely, Mikayla Scotlynd Littrell (MetsMadness the blog)😄
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Don’t you just love it when the ground begins to warm! A lovely quadrille, Lisa!
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Yes, I do! This is inside on a warming mat but same difference to the seed :)
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yes the beginning lines work best there Li – how you envisioned the first sign of greening as both engraved and etched is so poetic
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Laura, thanks for the feedback and for the kind words. It’s funny, the first thing I thought when I saw engraved was something/someone planted!
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Engraving is a harsh arduous process. It’s easy to overlook the struggles of rebirth. I enjoyed the “feel” of this!
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Susan thanks so much for your view of the process.
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Love knowing others fiddle with positioning and repositioning lines. I read your quadrille several times, will share I like the first three lines as the last three lines. [ But really, what do I know? LOL ]
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Helen, thanks for the feedback!
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The three lines at the bottom works best I think.
I didn’t know that stevia could be eaten directly from the plant.
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Thanks for the freedback, Nolcha. We nibbled it and it was fine. It’s like peppermint leaves, just a little dab’ll do ya.
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I hope this tree/ plant grows strong.
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Sadje, me too. There are more sprouted now from the 15 or so seeds I had. They are so tiny but looking good so far.
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That’s very cool.
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I’d almost just repeat those lines beginning AND end.
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Alexandra, good idea! It’s a quadrille of 44 words but I’m putting it on here at the bottom as you suggested.
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A lovely poem, Lisa. I love spring and watching the new life stirring.
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Robbie, there are few things I like better. Thanks so much for reading and your comment <3
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My pleasure, Lisa.
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What a delightful surprise!
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yes, it was!
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😊
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Nicely done Li
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Thank you, Sadje :)
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You’re welcome
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