by Mark Weinrich

I love the anticipation
like a child on Christmas day
when the seed of an idea is revealed 
I unwrap it with the crackling rip 
and laughter of a little boy. 

What joy, as the Lord tills my mind
and prepares it for planting.
But rocks are always intruding
roots that need to be removed,
I thrill in the musty smell and feel, 
as soil spills through my fingers
then the sheen of a polished stone 
carries me away and I’m caught up 
in a story or poem.  

Sadly, there is no escape from weeding
for I don’t want my flowers crowded out. 
But often in the pulling an arrangement, 
a realignment presents itself, and I wonder 
why I didn’t notice it from the first. 
How I delight that God is ever working
even through the weeds.

Finally, I give it time to rest,
time to take on a life of its own.
For flowers will need to be snipped
so others can grow. And in this
season, the Lord sends the sweetness 
of rain, the sprinkling of peace
this work is finished.

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Mark Weinrich lives a creative life as a writer, photographer, musician, and artist—all wrapped together in an outdoorsman. He is a retired pastor and nine-year cancer survivor. His writing and photography have appeared in over 130 news stand, inspirational, and literary publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.