Drive Deep

I fed the chickens. I give them the purslane, and I hide scratch in the big jumbled mess of lusciousness and wet dirt. It gives them something to do, because backyard chickens are in an artificial habitat–not a farm, in other words. They get bored. They peck on one another.

Wait, do you hear a lesson? I did.

We can scratch in the lusciousness lying all around us, or we can peck one another. Yes.

I went on to weed for a bit. Purslane is persistent. It’s edible, and delicious, and carries Omega-3 fatty acids and beta carotene, and many other nutritional salves for our hard working bodies. It’s a weed, that thrives on neglect, and is a superfood. Not only that, but it smothers out the grass like a boss. Purslane is powerful. Be like purslane. Soft and luscious, life affirming and powerful.

I found common mallow. It’s easy to spot. It sticks up, with lovely scalloped leaves, completely out of place, and not giving a fuck. And hear this–it has a tap root that drives deep. Some I pulled out had a taproot of 10 inches. Be like common mallow. Stand tall, out of place, with a long, strong root. And it has flowers. Also edible. Affirming.

Dandelion. Edible. Astringent to the liver. Life-affirming. It’s seeds. We know about its seeds. They are magnificent. They develop into absolutely beautifully geometric orbs of softness, and they scatter irretrievably on the wind. Lightly, they carry on the wind, and then they strike down right into the soil, if they make it there. Be like dandelion. Carry the message lightly. Carry it high. Be kind to your liver. Be decisive and tenacious.