Devotion {letter four: Falling Gently}

establishing ties with the natural world

Woodland Wardens by Jessica Roux

Belonging to Nature

We begin this week with a reading from one of my favorite books, The Little Prince, a novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Click the link below to have me read to you (I hope you will enjoy my fox voice):

Excerpts from "The Little Prince"

If you'd rather read the passages, I’ve found a version linked HERE

"I am looking for friends. What does that mean--'tame'?"

"It is an act too often neglected," said the fox. It means to establish ties."

"'To establish ties'?"

"Just that," said the fox. "To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . ."

Plant by Plant

When I was in 7th grade we had this assignment for science class.  We were supposed to observe our own backyards for something like 3-4 months to see how plants and animals change over the seasons.  We were asked to keep a journal, noting what we saw, drawing leaves or buds. I was excited about the project and started off strong for a week or so. And then, I went ahead and completely forgot about the assignment.  Like, completely. Until the the day or two before it was due. I panicked. I remember crying and asking my mother what I could do. I had nothing to show for this huge project, a project worth a large part of my grade, and one I genuinely wish I’d done.  

Luckily for me, my mother had a huge collection of books on gardening and plants.  She had Farmer’s Almanacs, seed catalogs, and all sorts of other things. I spent two days pouring over the encyclopedia (yes, this was pre-internet) trying to figure out what each tree was in the backyard, tracking what it would look like throughout the seasons, and created a fake journal. Complete with drawings and notes about how it felt to be out there.  It was fiction, but it was also beautiful.

In Cotton Art Prints - Etsy Shop

I got an A+ on the assignment and my science teacher told me I was one of the only people to really do the assignment the way he’d asked. I can still feel the shame, but also the pride of that moment. The truth is, I probably learned what it was he had wanted me to learn, but I knew that something had been lost in the rush of it. The relationships with those plants weren't real - I hadn't done the work of establishing ties.

The fox asks the Little Prince to “tame” him, but this is an imperfect translation of the French verb “apprivoiser.” Apparently, that word has a set of special connotations in French. The verb does not simply mean “to domesticate” but instead suggests a process of gently forging a relationship."

PROMPT

This week I invite you to find a tree to follow for the remainder of fall. Pick one that's still on the green side and watch it change over the next few weeks. Even if you live in an area where trees don't really change colors in a dramatic way, you will see changes if you pay attention.

• You might take a photo of it every few days

• You could take some time to sketch parts of it, it's acorns or leaves

• Sit near it and write

Make it your tree. Let it tame you.

My willow tree - special and different from all other willows

Devotion

Prompt: write a list or list poem about the things you are devoted to. To what or whom are you devoted? What does the word devotion bring up for you?

This week, take some time to breathe, to relax, to catch up on any of the prompts you haven’t gotten to yet, and soak in the beauty of the world around you. Come and share your work (or lack of work) in the group chat and let us know how you are.