Root Words
Growing the future with words and seeds
Last weekend I had the honor of opening the NOFA-VT Winter Conference with a poem.
The conference’s theme was Seeding The Future — a reminder that what we sow now creates the possibilities to come, and a call to seed a future that nourishes all.
Here’s the poem I shared:
Root Words
Here, take these words
let them grow like
seeds inside
your heart
let the syllables turn
to roots strong enough
to lift up any song
so when you are grieving
you may wail
when you are ecstatic
you may shout
and when the notes fade
you know
you are held
in the silence
held in the trust
that those root words
will bloom again
writing a healed world
into your hands
giving you seeds
to plant and
make it so
As we lean into seed starting season, here are some of my stand-by favorite varieties:
What are you looking forward to planting this year – literally or metaphorically?
I’m very excited about Rose de Berne and Green Zebra tomatoes, basil, and a lot of flowers.
Also: more poetry, joy, and community.
And especially more poetry workshops with farmers and gardeners! Taylor Mardis Katz and I had so much fun leading the Words As Seeds: Poetry For Change workshop at the NOFA-VT Winter Conference. Taylor even brought a mailbox for poetry. It was great, and I’ll keep you posted when more events like this sprout up.
On that note, I invite you to join me in the March Arts Marathon – a fundraiser for the Central Vermont Refugee Action Network (CVRAN).
This fundraiser supports asylum seekers and refugee families in Vermont with housing, living expenses, and legal fees.
At a time when our country is being rocked by fear and violence, we need more ways to creatively take care of each other. The March Arts Marathon is a generative way to connect with local artists while supporting CVRAN’s work.
When you donate to the fundraiser, I’ll send you a poem a day in March.
That’s 31 poems! You can donate any amount - from $5 to $15 to $50 or more.
All money raised will go toward housing, living expenses, legal fees and other support services for the asylum seekers and refugees whom CVRAN supports in Central Vermont. Together, we can show how many people are weaving a network of support. Like mycelium through the soil, we can create a foundation for growth and nourishment.
Here’s to seeding a future where all are fed.
