We are each other’s
harvest:
we are each other’s
business:
we are each other’s
magnitude and bond.
Gwendolyn Brooks
Today’s post was written by my colleague and friend, Dr. Danille Taylor. She wrote this reflection after working in her garden and seeing the connection between her work and the work in which we must all engage to undo the isms that are destroying humanity.
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I was in the garden yesterday in 90 degree heat digging out weeds. I put a perennial bed in an area where the builder planted bamboo. I contracted to have soil and new plants put in. It was much too much work for my new knees, but the bed wasn’t prepped properly. The bamboo is tenacious! I can neither stomp it out nor can I use poison because of the new plants. I have to dig down and extract the roots. This is tedious back-bending work that requires the right tools so as not kill the new plants–my beauties. I may have to keep weeding for years to rid the garden of the bamboo, but as the gardener, it is my responsibility to protect my beauties. If I get lazy or forget, the bamboo will take over again.
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Ridding this world of all the ‘isms, greed, and inequities requires that we all be gardeners. There is no quick medicine or vaccine. There is only consistent, diligent, hard, and loving work to destroy the roots. But we have to have the right tools.
Photo by CongerDesigns on Pixabay
Each period requires old and new tools, but we must understand the old to be effective now. The energy of Black youth has brought us to this moment much as it did fifty years ago. They are railing at the bamboo that has them in a chokehold.
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If need be, we’ll plant a new garden and properly prepare the bed making sure the soil is rich and nurturing. No poisons allowed. We must remember the “bamboo” may still be there, so we’ll have to be diligent in identifying and uprooting it. We have knowledge and lessons of the past and tools of the future. We will sweat. But the wonderment and beauty we cultivate will feed us. As we weed and dig to extract roots we must not lose our joy. We see the beauty of the garden we are cultivating.
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Live, breathe, love, and work.
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This is a really beautiful analogy, with some great advice. Thank you.
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Thank you! I’ll be sure to pass along your compliment.
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I love gardening. The beauty of God’s creations are found in the garden. 🙂
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I’m not sure I can do gardening without a mask and a good dose of allergy meds, but I do love the results.
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Yes! What a perfect metaphor (or is it an analogy? I’m never sure). I am grateful for the reminder that the gardening of our hearts and minds has to be continuous. The bamboo is always lurking, waiting to appear again. Thanks for sharing this!
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Well–she uses metaphor to create the analogy, so… [It is an analogy though]. I’ll be sure to pass along your compliment!
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This is a good analogy. I think our ancestors did the hard work sometimes and forgot to teach/show us that eradicating any ism is ongoing, life’s work. Pruning is forever necessary.
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…and it’s exhausting. I just remembered a poem that discusses that very theme. I wish I’d remembered it Monday–Grace Nicholls, “Days That Fell.”
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I’ll check it out.
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Beautiful post! 🙂
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I’ll pass your words along, Sheila! 🙂
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fabulous analogy!!! thank you! would you be so kind as to guest blog post for my site? if you’re so inclined, here’s a link to general guidelines: https://wp.me/p6OZAy-1eQ
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Thank you. I will look into it. Does this require a new post written for your blog or post linked to my blog?
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many tx for considering, Chadra — a new one please — tho it’s fine to make it an update of something you’re already published
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Beautiful! If you don’t mind me asking do you accept guest posts for free, or do we need to pay for it? ♥️
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Free, of course! Is there something you’d like to share via my blog?
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