Sunday, June 14, 2009

question

If you were speaking in parables
this afternoon, would you still talk
about seeds and birds and trees?

You see, what we know of farming
are supermarket shelves of Costa Rican
bananas and Peruvian asparagus;

a flower box of basil in the yard,
summer trips to the farmer’s market.
(Why is it so expensive?)

In our world of uniform tomatoes,
our apples sit, shiny and stacked in rows,
our Blackberries know nothing of time.

We fly so fast down the highway
we fail to see the clusters of muscadine
on the fence line, wild onions in the ditch.

I’m answering my own question. True
theology isn’t thirsting for a technological
upgrade: it’s still God 1.0: Christological kudzu.

Tell me the story again, in this summer
of kale and catastrophe, greens and grace;
and I will do my best to see and hear.

Peace,
Milton

6 comments:

Magdalene6127 said...

I connect with this poem so much Milton... and it connects wtih my sermon today... Thank you!

Peace,

Mags

Anonymous said...

tell me the story again...

i like that.

Jeff (no, the other one) said...

Kudzu cultivation: drop seeds; run for your life!

I want to write something after being immersed in the Master Gardener book, about good neighbors and harmony and so on. Thanks for the inspiration.

Heidi Renee said...

are you familiar with 'guerillas of grace' by ted loder? this is like wendell berry and ted loder - and even better.

"of kale and catastrophe, greens and grace" that line makes me inhale deeply milton - so incredibly beautiful.

don't eat alone said...

Heidi

That is one of my favorite books.

Peace,
Milton

Heidi Renee said...

you have the gift - please keep writing. it's beautiful.