I made a stream flow above me
In Emoyeni
Water long stagnant,
I hacked mindlessly at beauty – and weeds
With roots as tangled and deep as falsehood itself
‘We will grow again’ they mock to the swoosh of running water
I raise my hand from the loosened ground
And feel the coolness slip through my fingers
My reflection lowers her hand
And lifts me high as the sun
Where, from the vastness of space, beauty had celebrated its pruning
By multiplying as far as the air could reach
Back on the path,
The Good Enough Mother and I collect pretty stones along the way
She doesn’t mind the roots we’ve left behind.
Julia Rutherford
Emoyeni, May 2017
© Julia Rutherford