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The Weeds of Inspiration

It all starts as a tiny seed of inspiration. You're sitting there minding your own business when suddenly weeds begin growing in the supremeness of your thoughts. You are being intellectual at the time, lost in ideas that even the great philosophers couldn't explain. Without so much as a hint of imminent interruption, you have dandelions taking over the soil of your mind.

There's obviously only one thing to do. Pluck those nasty weeds out by the roots! Work the soil of your mind's blood vessels until it becomes arid, tossing hardened rocks to the side, or getting rid of them altogether. This is no time for frivolous writing! You are preparing to write the world's greatest novel, the one only you can tell.

Ah, but there's no time! Planting season is upon you, and harvest will soon follow! You must choose the seed that will grow and flourish now! For if you don't, you might not be able to grow anything at all! That would be the ultimate tragedy, the loss of your true inspiration to a future that can't be planted yet.

You wander through the aisles of reflection. All sorts of seed packets look appealing, as you sort through the emotions attached to the beauty of their plants. One will grow into a poem filled with imagery and magic. Another might hang her head in shame. There are seeds that seem to nourish after flowering, and others that need constant attention to be worth anything at all.

You reflect upon the landscape of your garden, determined to plant the seed that will grow best. In an instant there's a storm of unexpected power, challenging your motives, directing you to think again. Tall stately trees masquerade as protectors from the elements, when in fact their roots tend to take over gentle thoughts. The beaming sun scorches tender leaves that make their way to the surface.

Your garden must be transformed, given proper nutrients for new growth. Death must be returned to the depths of its source, replenishing the plot left for seed. Old blooms fade away, leaving remnants that get nibbled by insects feeding upon their worth.

The world's greatest novel must wait. You have a vision like no one has ever known, as you recognize the value of what you thought was waste. Simplicity in numbers overtakes you, and you begin to embrace the impending growth of a different sort of garden, one that will shatter all illusion, calling into question common reason.

Those roots you attempted to dismantle have revisited their source. Tall stately dandelions reach upwards, threatening any who dare destroy them with prickly stems and leaves. They grow with great purpose providing nutrition to the soil. As their yellow buds blossom, there is beauty.

Beyond these cherished benefits, the weeds you couldn't quite extinguish have now proven their worth once more. Transformed by only your imagination, they are remedies for sickness, curing warts, providing half of daily Vitamin C requirements, and acting as a diuretic for your liver.

Yes, there is more than meets the eye to the weeds you once dismissed. You begin to dabble in the soil. Precious plants must be removed and set aside now, leaving room for unexpected treasures. This garden will challenge all who dare to look at it, as they question its very worth, until they reap the rich rewards of it, being touched in ways yet to be determined.

Learn more about this author, M. J. Joachim.
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