You know, I’m not really sure what to say about this image.  Anything I say will give you a glimpse into my state of mind, and that is not something that I am currently eager to share.  But that is why we are here after all isn’t it?

I guess the reason I am drawn to this image is because it looks the way I feel.  A bit frayed, a bit abused, but stalwart in its dedication to what it is.

I am living in a state that seems to have decided that what I stand for is no longer important.  What I do is no longer of value.  They stand outside the garden and see the fruits of our work, and fail to recognize that without us there would be no fruit, or at least the fruit would not be as healthy, as vibrant and as nourishing.

So they want to nip us in the bud, cut back our nourishment, starve us of water and cull those that don’t mass produce fruit that does not pass a test that has nothing to do with its value.  They want portion control and ability to ship.  They don’t seem to see that it is in the variety that comes from from a diverse crop that is the true value of the garden.  They think it is okay to cull the plants that prefer the shade, or produce oblong fruits when the carton is made for round.

They do not value the flower that can not be mass produced and marketed because they do not value the garden, they only value the money they can make from the garden.  They fail to realize that a garden with just one plant will grow sterile.  They do not see the importance of the bee or the spider so they squash them and kill them, poison them and demonize them.

As time passes they take and they take, not recognizing the need for land to be nourished and occasionally to sit fallow.  They expect more and more from less and less.  And then when the time comes that it can no longer produce, they blame everything but themselves.  They take it out on the rope that holds the gate, and on the gate, and on the plants and any bees that remain.  And they wonder why the soil is depleted, and there is not enough food.  So they pull up the fence, and destroy the gate for surely it must be their fault.  The garden is after all within their bounds.

The one thing they never seem to realize, is that if you value the fruit, you must value  and nourish the garden.  You must repair and maintain the fence and the gate.  And sometimes, you need to reach out and nurture the rope that holds the gate that protects the garden that grows the food that feeds the people.

It is time we stop demonizing the people that put their lives into serving society.  Stop with the bullshit, and start with the composted manure.

Peace!

KT