I used to wake up and check my calendar
Now I watch the corn get cut.
I’ve been slowing down on purpose
Dragging my heels and turning my head to the sides.
I’ve been trading my training in productivity
To trip and stumble down the path of patiently doing nothing.
I’ve watched as the seeds in the fields are carefully tucked into the soil
And I’ve attempted to nurture my own soul with the same gentle care.
I’ve seen them germinate amidst a mosaic of wildflowers
An invitation to animals of all shapes and sizes to come reap the bounty.
I’ve observed as they defy gravity and inch into the sky
Embracing the paradoxical truths of the universe and coming to know that growing up is inevitably painful.
I’ve been awed by their density as the once-barren field becomes a forest of foliage
And I’ve tried not to get too attached because they’ve taught me that the only constant is change.
I’ve gazed out again, this time in the cool air, as their stalks are cut down
To generously feed the insatiable hungers of our odd species
And I’ve tried not to feel sad about how freely they give
And how little we seem to appreciate their effort.
I’ve sat still before a field of skeletons
Wondering whether next year will be the same
Curious if corn is afraid to be buried in snow
So I asked it.
And the corn shuddered in the breeze
While I stood with my warm coffee watching the world turn
And untrained in the ways of caring but eager to try
I poured some of my warm liquid onto the ground.
I’m not sure if it helped, maybe it hurt
But I wanted the Earth to know that I care for it
That I’m trying to unlearn the ways of the world
And pick up on the secret knowledge of our planet.
So I rise again with the Sun
And stand still like the corn, my toes in the dirt and my palms to the sky
And I watch the corn in the field next door do nothing and everything
Hoping that maybe by doing nothing myself, I will someday understand everything.
—
Matt rows boats through the Colorado Plateau during the summer, and runs/skis/bikes across the West during the winter. He believes the recipe for a happy life is quality time with people, in beautiful places, doing things that fulfill you mentally and physically.
