#Perfect

This year, for one reason or another, I haven’t had much time for my motley collection of bonsai. I am allowed to call them that, for even though most of them are not perfect specimens, they do live in a pot and that fits the description!

I do try and visit them as much as possible, even if it’s for my benefit for a much needed breath of fresh air and a chance to escape the office. I haven’t needed to water as much either, as the weather has been very wet and they much prefer rainwater anyway, although my ancient larch didn’t like being waterlogged and is looking very sorry for itself.

Over the years there have been some disappointments, like the time the frost was so severe it killed several of my charges. Or when some obscure tree disease strikes, and a tree sadly dies.

I was inspecting them all this morning, when my eye came to rest on one such afflicted tree that suffered badly two years ago. Only the disease hadn’t killed the whole tree, just half of it.

I bought this tree as a small shrub from a garden centre, attracted by the almost black colour of the finely cut foliage. I had never seen one quite like it before and although it wasn’t yet a bonsai, I was sure we could create magic together.

When the disease struck, I thought I would eventually lose the tree altogether but every year it grows stronger. It is a most unusual shape but its desire to grow and grow well somehow has me rooting for it.

I have some good trees, well worthy of being called bonsai but also a motley collection of oddities. I call them bonsai in training but in all honesty, will probably never be good enough for that distinction. They come from just about everywhere, from the garden or seeds dropped by the birds. Some I don’t even know their name but love the look of them.

I may be a perfectionist in other things but not where Nature and all growing things are concerned. As one of her biggest fans, I love everything she does, no matter how odd or unusual.

She does her best to be perfect and that’s good enough for me…

What would you do?

I have become eager for sunset
For night to fall,
when I can retire to my bedroom
To spend the dark hours with David
who makes my skin glow?
Forcing me to reach out for his touch
The feel of his face against my neck
He whispers, I cannot stay long.
His time is growing short
He must move on soon.
My heart breaks, I cannot lose him
I will leave my life to follow him
To spend time in his world
What would you do
to keep your perfect lover?