For NaPoWriMo: Day 30 – Final Poem
http://1sojournal.wordpress.com/

Stepping Stones
Photograph
by
Elizabeth Crawford
…when she bedded her zinnias…
Stood off to one side
clapping hands
as she rooted memory
in rich moist soil
of fertile mind.
Tapping roots of that
other garden meant
to trap, to cage seeds
of soul in darkened soil
of hard cold rage.
Instead, nurtured words
until they were rooted,
setting me free to bring
them to fruition, marking
stepping stones in present moments.
Learned just enough
to know, I know nothing
of bedded zinnias.
Elizabeth Crawford 4/30/16
Process Notes: Title is a line (per prompt) from Brenda’s poem titled Broken Water. Which may be found here: https://undercaws.com/2016/04/28/broken-water/
When I wrote up the prompt, I had something entirely different in mind, but realized, even as I wrote it that I wanted a line from Brenda’s poem because it marked a realization in my own writing process. It struck a very deep cord in me. Had me remembering that long ago garden, essentially created to keep me busy, to control both my time and activities. It didn’t have the desired effect. Brenda had taken a very distressed moment and turned it into creative healing. For me, that is the most important aspect of any creative endeavor. While I tilled, weeded, harvested, canned and froze all the produce from that other garden, I had no choices about what went into that larger every year containment. But, while my hands were busy, my mind was free to create stories, poems, things I wanted to write. And that word garden allowed me to finally walk away from the trap being built around me. I firmly believe that we writers create ourselves, and our own path, one word at a time. This past month of writing a poem a day once again made me realize that belief. I can only thank Brenda for being one more of the stepping stones in my ongoing path. I think I might have just ‘bedded’ my zinnias. Pray they take root.
Personal Musical Inspiration:
Love the poem, and love the process notes even more. I emerged from a similar cage………….and discovered gardening afterwards so it was, for me, a joy.
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❤
This is beautiful, and I thank you for helping me bed my zinnias this month. You've deepened my appreciation of my own work and for that I am eternally grateful. I hope your zinnias take root, and that the formation of their flowers fascinates you as much as it fascinates me. I can't wait to see what colors bloom in front of my boulder, and will surely share that with you if you'd like to run them through your kaleidoscope app later. Love and light to you, my friend. May you find joy in every day.
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Elizabeth –
What a beautiful, reflective piece. As I noted on your 1Sojournal prompt page, I went a different direction with my initial response to prompt 30…and decided to stick with it rather than taking a better stab at following your prompt. So I’m finally back to read the Day 30 pieces! I said it before, but I’ll say it here — t was a pleasure to be with you this past April PAD! ~Paula
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