Pruning is Good

Have you ever had someone or something in your life that you knew was problematic, but it was hard for you to let go? What did you do about it?

Have you ever had to cut someone or something from your life? How did it hurt and/or benefit you?

It seems one of my callings,

To beckon

To point out

To urge

Others to see

What they may not want to.

People usually don’t want to wake up.

(I often don’t.

When people call me on my stuff,

I generally resist.)

But pruning is good.

If a branch needs pruning,

It being gone

Supports growth and wellness.

With an arborist's vision,

I perceive

The strength, beauty and fullness

The tree could have

If pruned and cared for properly.

It pains me to see

The sickening of the tree

With too much to support

And some of it diseased.

Pruning is good.

And feared by many

Who don’t want to change

And won’t let go.

And knowing it’s needed,

I proceed with courage.

An empath,

I hurt myself

While pruning.

So I wail the blues

And the singing helps.

Fearful, too,

Rarely certain.

Am I making a mistake?

Am I cutting the right branch?

In the right way?

Will I go too far?

Will I kill the tree?

But if I don’t prune,

A heavy branch may break

Or the tree may sicken and die.

Fearful, too,

Of possible backlash,

Or being pruned.

I want choices to be mine

Not decided by another.

I’m not always right.

(Though often I am.)

The orange and lemon trees

That grace my backyard

And prune almost yearly

Are healthy and fruitful.

I opened up

To a new man in my life,

And he slammed me.

I offered

A mirror for him to see

What needed pruning

If he chose to do so.

He was blind, deaf and dumb.

So I let it go.

I let him go.

I moved on.

Pruning is good.

Those who don’t want to

I may prune from my life.

Pruning is good

Supports growth and wellness.

Often valued

This work I do,

Though it may take time.

“To my greatest teacher

Of life, love and growing up.”

The writer wrote to me

Years after we split

As an inscription

In the front of

The book he authored.

Another asked for

Gentle pushing;

A kind of pruning.

So I did.

Initially resisting,

Then thanking me.

“You pushed me to grow.

I’m better for having you

In my life.

I was really lucky.

I had a good mentor.”

Ah, yes,

Pruning is good

Supports growth and wellness.

Thank you.

Bibi Caspari © 1/18/16