There’s something comforting about seeing small and simple plants grow down the middle of my driveway. I get the same feeling when I see grass growing through cracks in the sidewalk. To me, these are testament to the power of small things and reminders of man’s inability to conquer the natural world.
Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.
~ Hal Borland
Due to its simple form and presence at our feet, it’s all too easy to dismiss the power of grass. Yet, its strength is in its numbers and its ability to persist despite being trampled on over and over again. Below, the shadow of a fox trail appears in the grass behind Rainbow Haven beach.
Grass changes with the seasons and makes no futile attempt to hold strong against the wind. It knows its limitations. In the winter, it hunkers down under the snow and quietly waits for spring. When sunshine and rain permit, grass seizes the opportunity to grow to great heights in just a short amount of time, confounding those tasked with mowing it down.
It’s most beautiful when at last it goes to seed. In the early morning light, the grass in the photos below looks like a magical mist rising in the forest.
Growth begins when we begin to accept our own weakness.
~ Jean Vanier
This is a beautiful post, a fitting tribute to a beautiful group of plants that deserve more attention than is commonly given them.
Thanks Pamela.
I love the way you view the earth. Have you seen foxes on that trail?
Millhill, yes I saw two this morning in the area. I’ve seen many along here over the years. Unfortunately, the light was dim this morning and my photos didn’t turn out well enough to publish.
Lovely post.
Lovely comment. Thank you Sybil :)
“…testament to the power of small things…” I love this line! I sometimes need to remind myself of this while teaching…that I may not be solving the problems of the world, but that I am making a difference in a child’s life. That is worth it all!
Beautimous pictures, too, Miss Amy!
Cindy, of all small things, children are the most wonderful.
Glad you liked the pics :)
Grass is tough to the point of being a miracle. Someone had set fire to dry grass around our office past summer, turning a small patch to ashes. But the day after the first rains, the ground began to heal itself and soon it was all green.
Swaps, your first line reminded me of a line from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass:
“I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.”
It is a wonder :)
Yes,a remarkable resilience. To watch grass in the aftermath of a fire is a wonder itself. The first returnees seem always to be ants, marking out new routes in the black ashes. But invariably the second is grass. Becaue the growing tips emerge from just beneath the soil, unlike most plants which grow from their ends out, grass is able to survive, and often be invigorated by fire. An amazing evolution! Excellent post on an understated plant!
Thanks for adding your insights Julian. Despite the fact that lawns of grass are commonly grown in North America, we know very little about the resilient nature of this plant.
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