The Cost of Reclaiming the Land

Chainsaws could be heard for days after the microburst deconstructed the manicured neighborhood yards.  My dad spent hours cutting up the trees into manageable sizes to be burned at a later date. 

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to rake up the remaining branches and twigs.  Some of the remnants of the trees were stuck into the ground up to a half a foot from the shear force of nature's wrath.  As I pulled these daggers from the ground, I thought of my delicate purple flower that nature spared.

My heart sank as I approached it.  It appears as if it still clings to life even though the flowers are gone and it lies helpless on the ground.  This fragile survivor had inadvertently been trampled under foot while clearing the trees. 

What was once a symbol of mercy and survival is now a testament to the human need to reclaim the land for our own purposes.

Nature vs. Man - This battle continues to wage on throughout the world, but for my precious flower, Man won this round.

Comments

[Mike Sansone]

I would wonder if Man really won the battle here. Our purple friend will be forever etched in your mind's eye. I'm confident it will give you (and others) strength by its story of victory.

In some ways, both Nature and Man win. First by your witness, second by your sharing the story.

Thanks for your eye and your voice.