principles and dandy blooms

without realizing

we’ve been upholding a principle that isn’t on our list

and

it’s a principle that I struggle with – the hardest of the lot

it goes against my domestic instinct

it is -

don’t tidy (sweep, clean up, order – that kind of thing)

this principle slipped its way into our consciousness – like a ‘weed’ in my head

I love to sit in the garden –

watching, listening, sniffing, taking it all in

and I love to meander on the patchwork of surfaces

amongst it All

but every time I’ve been in anyone’s garden

I’ve had compelling desires to meddle

not to weed or plant or prune or dig or harvest or squish or nurture

but to arrange or move loose stuff

to sweep

to order

to tidy up (a tad)

to create - the odd intervention with the loose detritus

of shards of glass

I said –

Let’s brush them to one side

or

stack them up in pillars

She said

why?

I said

Well, if there’s no glass on the floor people who come over for a chat can safely sit on the ground without puncturing their bums

She said

Isn’t their safety their responsibility?

Isn’t that the point – that they take responsibility for their interaction with the environment?

I pondered – and concurred

But my urge didn’t wane

hasn’t waned

Not written - but adhered to

This principle – no tidying up

applies when we take photos too –

so

bits of twigs n other stuff

organic or otherwise

come into shot

and stay in shot

no tweaked pristine pics here

just what is there

but in anyone’s garden

anyone else is free to move what they want

and they do

of their own accord

through whatever motivation…

Today I went to anyone’s garden on my own

no cake

no deckchair

no spectacle as such

just me

with camera

scrubbing around

on my knees

photographing a garden in bloom

399 blooms

full blooms

(not buds)

of a single species

the dandelion (Taraxacum)

dandy clusters

dandy groupingsdandy linessingle golden bloomsbursts of sunshinefrom terra firma

yellow reigning over terra nullius acquired through occupation

paling in it’s wake

coltsfoots appear to kowtow

en masse

399 dandy full blooms on this side of the desire line

on the other side

I didn’t count

just a single shot

of some that are there

for now