Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Beauty in the mess…

040

For over thirteen years I’ve exercised by walking through the streets,

and in and out of the cul de sacs,

of our neighborhood.

Two loops around makes almost five miles.

The people in the houses know me,

we smile and wave,

and sometimes chit chat for a bit.

Two blocks south lives a retired couple,

but we just call him “the man with the perfect yard”.

Maybe today I’ll say,

“After all these years, let me introduce myself.

My name’s Elizabeth!”

Then he’ll tell me his name, and I hope I’ll remember it.

His yard really is perfect.

Not a weed in sight.

The flowerbeds are edged with razor sharp perfection.

Nary a stray leaf dares to blow over onto his property.

His sidewalk and driveway look swept and scrubbed.

No spider webs don the eves of his house.

When I get back home, I see it with a critical eye.

The neighbors huge fir trees overshadow our front lawn,

there’s a sparse place in the grass because of it,

giving our yard a receding hair line,

Weeds pop up in the crooked flowerbeds faster than we can pull them.

The sidewalk and driveway are sprinkled with fir cones from the trees.

I notice the roof has moss growing on it again.

In the backyard, our own huge cedar trees give it the appearance that the forest resents the fact that we dared to disturb it by putting in a neighborhood,

and it’s now plotting to take back over.

Part of me really wants the perfect yard with no weeds and no moss and no crooked edges.

And that part of me almost missed the beauty in all of this mess.

041

 

Still following,

Elizabeth





 

8 comments:

  1. Wow, 5 miles. You inspire me. No wonder you look so good. And mess? No way.

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  2. oh, the beauty that is found right where we are. in the places we sweep and in the freedom of letting go and enjoying what blooms imperfect. :) great descriptions!

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  3. smiles...there is def beauty in the mess...i have so much else to do than make my yard look beautiful...but his doing it is a blessing to those that pass so...

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  4. I also live in near forest like conditions with the wild all around my house. We only tame the small part right around our house and even that much is hard to make nice. This week I was out weeding and saw the strangest looking little thing, it was a baby armidillo. Before long there was another one and another one. So apparently we are home to a nest of babies that will eventually help the one already digging holes all around. I enjoy trying to make my yard pretty but between these guys and the deer it is pretty difficult.

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  5. I think your yard is beautiful. Just think... You could spend all that time only in your own yard, fixing and preening, or you could share your precious days on this Earth by bringing people joy on that route you walk! Something tells me that you've find the right balance between the two. And truly, your yard looks gorgeous. Loving that picture.

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  6. That picture is awesome. I love it. I think there's beauty in both yards. The best part is in being you,whether that's carefree or trimmed and tidy :)

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  7. Ahh.. the beauty in the mess- that's my motto. Sometimes I can't see what's right in plain sight because I'm longing for a tidier picture. Love your reminder here.

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