A friend of mine asked me today,
“What should I do if love has its way?
I don’t know how to keep the flames stirred,
Do you know the answer? Tell me the secret word,”
I studied him intently, “You know my advice is free,
And I’ll tell you the truth even if you disagree,
You’re much like the others who sought me out,
Confused by love but your heart is stout,
If you are ready for my answer I will proceed,
I’ll tell you a short story about a man and his seed,”
He nodded his head and inclined his ear,
Ready for the wisest words he might hear,
“What it is, it is”………………………………………….
He looked at me puzzled, then started to grin,
“You’re trying to confuse me before we begin,”
I shrugged my shoulders and looked him in the eye,
“If you don’t take my answer seriously, I won’t even try,
There are struggles in love as you know well,
If you don’t get it right, it becomes a living hell,
But if you listen carefully to all I have to say,
You’ll find heaven, here on earth, each and every day,”
He motioned for me to share the things I might know,
So I began again, saying the words real slow,
“What it is, it is”……………………
This time he listened without making a sound,
“My example is about a garden and fertile ground,
A man started with good soil, wanting the very best,
The site was prepared, everything passed the test,
He sought opinions as he took extreme care,
He tilled it one more time until soft and fluffy there,
He marked his rows, planted the best of seeds,
Sent water down the rows, enough to meet their needs,
He gave thanks and smiled, now that his work was done,
He was proud, there was good soil, seed, water and sun,
He was ready to relax and take a long trip,”
My friend stirred, “He needs to get a grip,”
“What it is, it is”…………………………………………
He looked at me and silently shook his head,
I didn’t explain, but returned to the story instead,
“The man returned, expecting to harvest his crop,
But there was no moisture left, not even a drop,
The once soft ground was hard, the plants were dry,
Insects had shredded everything, his whole supply,
All that was left was ruined, it didn’t fit his needs,
The ground was covered with hundreds of weeds,
He was upset and he still didn’t understand,
I tried to clarify carefully about gardens and land,
“What it is, it is”………………………………………….
I explained to him and I’ll now tell it to you,
“With gardens and love there are rules few,
Rule number one: Should I let it go?
Let your inner compulsive child speak soft and low,
If something isn’t very important, don’t let it grow,
Love has a chance to bloom for all your life,
If you strive for peace and love instead of strife,
Rule number two: Should I fix it?
Choose to listen without harsh words,
Don’t chatter loudly like angry birds,
One cannot fix a problem without the other,
Compromises are necessary or why even bother?
Rule number three: Should I deal with it?
The first thing to remember is the commitment you made,
When you decided to join, the foundation was laid,
You made a choice to become her lover,
A commitment is a choice made over and over and over,
What some people forget is their garden to tend,
They know where to start but don’t wait for the end,
Within each of us is a garden that will yield much love,
But the garden needs tending with help from above,
Should you be negligent and let it grow wild,
In a short growing season you’ll find nothing worthwhile,
Spending time in your garden is a worthy endeavor,
You have to pay attention if you really mean forever,
You cannot neglect all you have promised to share,
Or her heart will dry up without tender care,
And if there’s too much time you spend away,
It’s possible for her weary heart to stray,
And should you get caught up in evil deeds,
Your love will eventually get choked by weeds,
Love is more than the emotions she holds for you,
It is the patience and kindness that you can do,
With loving care you’ll reap rewards from her heart,
She’ll love you forever from finish to start,
Faithfully protect and cherish to keep love alive,
Do your best for your garden and your love will thrive,”
“What it is, it is”…………………………………………………………..
