Desiring Clear Endings

I wait for the frost as if it makes the endings clear not just in the garden but in myself.

The sky was layered with pinks, lavenders, and blues this morning upon sunrise as the geese honked in their V overhead. The cool winds require a wool sweater, and my fingers feel cool as the winds begin to whisk the golden oranges and reds from the maples around me. For this brief moment, the entire landscape is like a rainbow. A final and lovely dance of every color in nature before it all fades into shades of gray, brown, and white. These days of mid-October awaken us to the beauty that exists right here in our present moment. I know, though, that this is all incredibly temporary.

Just yesterday, I cleared away the weeds from the garden. The things that I know shouldn’t overwinter because they will seed more of what I don’t want in the garden, but I still watch as some plants I love and have tended to all growing season are still thriving and others that are clearly ready for rest.

This month's cooler weather and rain have revived plants like calendula, marigolds, and borage. With such vigor, the carrots are greening and thriving in this cool weather. The kale has returned with a new sense of life it didn’t have all summer. There are clear signs of the things that want to continue on here in the garden as long as I or nature will allow them.