Cultivate

Jaedyn Vela

My bare frame, naked before thee
Blended into the world of bodies,
Yet outcast, among sewn fig leaves
Outcast, forgotten, but not by you
My bare frame, naked before thee, rescued

Your roots, your vine
Spreaded over me, gently covered me
Whispered, “You’re mine.”

Study, firm, your leaves tickle me
Sturdy, firm, but yet you delicately love me

Heart of stone, softened,
Now a fleshly beauty, a garden, growing

My branches grow, in the light, the presence of you
…I in you, and you in me

This flower blossoms, and these fruit grow
Fragrant love, wafting, this is love I know

Giving without fear of not receiving,
Selfless – – hard to not want to imitate.
I reflect, you radiate

In foolishness, I turn away,
Every which way. All other light is artificial,
No matter how strong my pursuit of it, lacks in comparison.
I feel it.

In the way my lungs, my roots ache for you.
A breath is no life at all
…if you are not the breath I breathe.

Other light scorches and burns me, leaves wither.
Yours is the light before me, within, a glimmer
Radiating

Beating within me too, a heartbeat, a life song
A race, I run. As my heart races for you
My sustenance, my soil in which I abide
Take root, you fertilize
No need for the temptations, the lies
Of those with “better” soil to offer
My tree, my lover

Even in the wilderness, I may be led. No oasis in sight,
But yet still fed, still watered

You’re the oasis within me. I’m filled, flourishing

A seed, so tiny, planted within me
My heart, your art, partnered

Never knew it would grow, like this
That I would grow like this, that it would lead me to…

To you, my vine, my tree of life, abundant
To you, my planter, my gardener
To you, my love

I’m a flower, blooming. Cactus, sustained
Fruit, dropping- a lover in loving

To you, my soil, my water- you, my light and air
Sow within me your love

Become. Becoming a tree like you, intertwined
Let’s be, immovable too.

“Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness
looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good,
and our land will yield its harvest.” – Psalm 85:10-12

[Matthew 13:1-43 & Song of Songs inspired]