<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">The Great Teaching of the</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Split Leaf Monstera Plant</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">What could be more mundane </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Than a poem about a house plant? </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Well, I’ve befriended ours, the</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">One our daughter gave us after</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Moving from the once dependable</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">And eulogized golden California</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Sun, now, too often, a dull and</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Unbreathable orange haze in so</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Many places on this earth, as we</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">humans grope for yet more</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">comfort and ease. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">So listen closely to what the plant</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Offers as a reminder each morning: </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">“It’s so simple. I capture the sun’s</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Rays both for my leaves that stand </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Out, but also for those that lie </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">below me<i> </i>on the forest floor, </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">I split open my leafy hands to share</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">the light with my brothers and sisters</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">behind me, so they too can thrive. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">My hands begin as tiny pale green </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Protrusions and I listen attentively</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">To my DNA profiling that guides me</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">To consider all who exist on the </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">earth’s precious lap. You see, we</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">All belong here and yes, even we, </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Simple house plants, see the big </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Picture, that we must make room </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">For those who lie below and behind. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">We are called to open our hands </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">and hearts so others can survive, </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">where the light of the warming sun</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Touches the outstretched arms of all. </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Every living thing on this earth is </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Essential, especially those that so</div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">Often, are huddling in the darkness.” </div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- bruce silverman</div></div></body></html>