The Yard

A very short story about being unappreciated

 

The Yard

 

There once was a gentle loving man

who had a most lovely yard

At the far edge of that yard

beyond the great garden

opposite the many plants and trees

stood a lone cactus

 

The cactus would watch from a distance

as the gentle man showered his garden

with love and praise and adoration

The man watered his precious garden daily

He weeded and nourished and was proud

In response the garden flourished before his eyes

 

Every day the cactus watched and wished

that it could be so lucky

as to have a place in that garden

To be bestowed with so much affection

To simply exist as the result of the labor of love

from such a gentle loving man

 

The beauty of the garden

was due to the fruits of the man’s labor

the level of effort he was willing to give

to sustain a garden of such grandeur

that was totally dependent upon him

to stay alive

 

The cactus wondered what it would be like

to receive such attention

But he was a cactus who required so little

to sustain himself in the man’s yard

Because he required so little attention

little was all he received

 

When there was no weeding needed

When the watering had all been done

When there was no harvest to reap

the man would look about the yard

and notice the strong and patient cactus

just sitting there waiting

 

In that moment

the cactus would come to life inside

in anticipation of the gentle man

who would bestow upon him

many compliments and affirmations

for that small moment in time

 

The cactus would shine in that moment

of undivided attention,

soak in the showering of nourishment and love

down to his core

That that would be enough

to sustain him

 

Everything has its place in the yard

Everything has its own needs

The cactus does not need, yet it wants

to be part of that garden

But the cactus knows

Its place is at the edge of the yard