If you or someone you know gardens, you may have heard of the category of plants called stepables. These are plants which not only withstand but in fact seem to thrive when walked on with regularity. Don’t ask me how exactly that works, but I will tell you that I’ve always found the concept fascinating. Indeed, I feel a sort of kinship with these plants, and when my mother planted some in the backyard, they became some of my favorites. This may or may not have something to do with the fact that few other places in our acre and a half were so pleasant to walk barefooted on; while I felt the need to pick my way around most of our prairie, the Thyme, in particular, felt like walking on blankets by comparison. It also had pleasant little purple flowers and those pale green leaves, which made the whole patch seem… blessed, if you will.
But certainly, the whole concept of something that grows stronger under hardship is attractive in any form, and I’ve always considered my poetry to be just such a phenomenon. I appear to be most productive, most insightful, and most creative when under pressure, which is, perhaps, one reason why I write very little poetry at present. Few troubles in life seem to measure up to the angst which teenage years and emancipation inspired.
The following poem was written in the middle of a school semester, in fall, shortly after I began reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown and going to therapy at 18. If that doesn’t constitute pressure, surely nothing does. If any of you have read this book, you may recognize the influence Brown was inspiring. If you haven’t read it, you should.
Winter Without Ice
Emotion, true and pure
It’s scary to be sure
But it’s what it means to be alive
Without emotion, life’s a lie.
And the freedom it brings
Is it not worth the price?
What is life without a little fear?
It's like a winter without ice
Thanks for reading, and I hope that whatever you’re facing this week, you find opportunity to grow from it like a stepable.