It was windy and cold in my garden today, so I could only gaze at my flowers through a window. Late in the day, I went to Home Depot and bought three new herb plants to add to my existing two. On my way home I saw a man walking near the cathedral. I have seen him in the area many times. He looked today, as he always looks, bent over and downtrodden. In cold or heat, he hides under a hoodie. Sometimes he comes to Mass at the cathedral. There, he keeps his head down. At the Sign of Peace, he never greets the people around him or responds to the greetings of others. He appears to personify every aspect of poverty: mental, emotional, and physical. I don’t know if he is homeless. I have never seen him beg. I suspect that his presence among us is somehow significant, even important. He is a mystery. Later at home after dinner, the wind had died, and a gentle rain was falling. I planted my new herbs in the twilight. From left to right above: Italian Oregano, Spearmint, Lavender, Sweet Basil, and Rosemary. The man and the mystery of poverty were still on my mind.
Contemplation Garden 