Two-sided living

So much to celebrate, so much to mourn. Here’s something I’ve been formulating this week, still in embryo stage.

***

What does growth look like from up above?

Oh look look!

A wisp of green

A sprout, a shoot!

Twin baby petals, lushly dainty

Unfolding miracle

Pulsing life

And the color!

The radiant, vibrant, thirst-quenching color

Delicate tendrils

Elegant shape

This is how growth looks from up above.

 

What does growth look like from down below?

All this greening comes at a price

The desperate straining

Reaching upward, panicked for air

Oppressed by layers without

Torn by strivings within

Yearning for light

There must be more!

Put out a root

Groaning and travail

The stretching

And shattering

The reaching inward for depleted resources

All that I have tried to hold together is crumbling around me

 

This is how growth looks from down below.

Subscribe
Notify of
3 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jean Nisley
12 years ago

This is so profound, Sis! With my sickness I’ve felt so much of the “down below” suffocations. Like, “You can’t really be doing this to me, God. I can’t survive!” It’s panic mode. But really recently I’ve felt some breakthroughs and actually caught some glimpses of the growth from up above. It’s then that I can’t be thankful enough for the insight of the Master Botanist. He knows the process will be hard. It will, in fact, require death. But He sees what we will become and He pushes us to greater heights. And my heart thrills at how good He is to still work on us when we cry, “NO!”

12 years ago

This resonated with me. It put words to some mental puzzles of mine.
It’s a beautiful piece of writing, too. 🙂

12 years ago

beautiful!

3
0
Join the conversation to share your comments.x
Scroll to Top