On Lichen
I live two lives - the life of the mind and the life in the world. They do not build on each other; they exist separately. Musings on a prompt given by Tanya Shadrick.
The lichen, yellow-splattered on the already mottled rocks, knows how to live on the detritus of those who came before. The rock makes no sound. It stays steady. It is my kin. I cling to this rock and to the steadiness it offers. I place my hands upon the rock, feel its coolness, settle in the fact that it knows that it can support others and remain what it is - remain strong. I don’t know how to do this yet. I want so much to be living a different life. But I can't see a way to be both - to be the lichen and the rock.