the hedge, on the edge

Walking past the hedge, on the edge of the broken pavement, the path constricts as branches brush past my cheek. The way is narrow and thin; a reflective pace unavoidable.

There's life in the hedge - birds and bugs, spiders and the sort. Life seems well designed for creatures of nature. They exist in the hedge and dine on what comes their way; a small interactive society.

In some way or another, we all live in a hedge - our town, our community, neighborhood and home. How much we participate in the movement of our hedge depends on us.

Take the spider for example. She spins a lively tatted web and then waits, luring in her food. On the other hand, birds flit and flicker, seizing what have you's here and there, and then return to their nest. Other living things fill additional elements of the hedge. All have a useful fragment of the being.

I walk by this hedge most days. And, most days the phrase, "walking past the hedge on the edge" goes through my mind.

I originally thought it was the beginning line for a poem, and it sure could be. But, as I've seriously thought about it for over a year, I've come to see the hedge as an ecosystem photo of life and community, this little spot in my neighborhood.

Walking with mindfulness -

Missy

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