Somewhere deeper, darker, and humbler than my opinionations, I felt like I started growing. Maybe I've always been growing in this way, but I didn't always feel it. This is the below-ground part of what I've mentioned in "Eternity". When looking for something in others, it helps to have bright eyes; when looking for the certainty that my own darknesses could be fruitful, it was helpful to have faith and go slow. I can't say that the faith was always there for me, but the growth seemed to be, even when there was doubt--perhaps especially when there was doubt. As I was going through it, I felt like I was wasting a lot of time, like something should be happening or getting done. It was, it just often happened more slowly than I wanted it to. (Yeah, my wording here is a little vague, but it takes personal investment to figure out what "it" is.)
We spend time
twisting, below,
in the dark.
Beneath the apparent,
beneath judgement,
below.
Shut away with the rot
and the darkness
in the depth of being.
Each seed sprouts
in whatever direction
it sprouts.
No enticement speeds the process;
no misdirection occurs.
Upon opening, this covenant
between Earth and sun
nurtures and directs anything that grows.
Below, timeless,
spending time.
Seed breaks, sprout lifts,
finds itself in the sun.
Copyright 2007 Todd Mertz