Perspectives

 Life requires me to make numerous adjustments these days, from changing the flow of preparing meals, to taking a different turn when coming home from town, to changing the place for my morning "prayers."

This tumble of rocks, likely excavated when the house was built, has become the site of my morning meditation. At first glance it seems like a weedy spot full of horse nettle, hemp dogbane, spurge, wild prickly lettuce, snow on the mountain, and other "weeds" I've forgotten the names of.

But I've come to love the semi-wildness of this spot that contains iris, as well as weeds, among the large stones. And who wouldn't love the beauty of Snow on the Mountain (Euphorbia marginata)? It shines here and there among the other "weeds", and stones, brilliant in the morning sun, the most showy thing blooming here.  The prickly lettuce and horse nettle are doing their best, but cannot compete.

It has made this spot a beautiful place. This tumble of stones has become sacred in the semi-wildness next to a large Eastern red cedar and other trees. It looks out over the horse pasture with a backdrop of a mostly oak woods.

In its semi-wild state, this pile of rocks seems liminal, an edge, a perfect place for my daily meditations, when I seek the edge. 

When I first looked over this spot I wanted to pull the weeds, to tidy it up... but now I think not. That would spoil its aura.

Besides, if I pulled the Snow on the Mountain, and other blooming weeds what would the butterflies drink from?

Silver spotted skipper having breakfast