Rebecca Leeman
Her fingers dig in soil
with an ancestral knowing,
back amongst many generations
of green thumbs,
she
stirring clods,
loosening clay,
massaging the bugs,
and feeling the living ground.
Her fingers comb through rich
organic matter,
the kneading vibrations
informing her neural network
of sensuous textures
and heady aromas,
which brings her calm
and settling,
and a pause
which keeps her
solidly crouched on the ground,
intimate with life
fingers in the dirt
patting the seedling
into its bed
with wishes tenderly whispered
for growth.
Rebecca Leeman is a nurse-midwife who calls New Mexico home. Gardening calls to her because of the joy of growing things and grounding in the dirt. Writing has been a healing pursuit and a tool for managing grief and loss. She leads song circles and delights in free form dance.