Monday, April 4, 2022

A Small Patch

 


A SMALL PATCH

it’s a small yard
with a small garden
and a small patch
of milkweed

it’s a small thing
for a small creature
this small patch
of milkweed

many small acts
make a big difference
plant your own small patch
of milkweed

for the monarchs
for the miracle migrators
plant them a small patch
of milkweed


© Mary Lee Hahn, 2022





In her essay, "What is Emergent Strategy?" in ALL WE CAN SAVE, (the most underlined two pages so far in my copy of the book) Adrienne Maree Brown quotes Nick Obolensky to define emergence: "Emergence is the way complex systems and patterns arise out of a multiplicity of relatively simple interactions." In her words, "...the whole is a mirror of the parts. Existence is fractal--the health of the cell is the health of the species and the planet." And later, "...species survive only if they learn to be in community."

Small actions matter.


4 comments:

  1. Little, gathered, becomes much. I like this one.

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  2. The repetition in this just gets me. I love it. And I will share it with Mark, my husband who mows around many patches of milkweed in our yard. Small does, indeed, become big. xo

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  3. Oh yes. Do I see a revision, which if so is perfect, or which if not, already was perfect? "Plant *them* a small patch/of milkweed." <3

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  4. I love this. Absolutely perfect. May I share it with my sixth graders! We are working on persuasive writing and I think this would fit in perfectly!

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