To Bloom Is a Victory

Created by: Members of the Pakistani Centre Community Garden Group

Read by: Members of the Four Wings group

Natural – faithful, loving, enjoyable. I am a garden. I bloom because of and in the face of the people around me. To bloom is a victory. I reach out through railings to my community. These railings can’t contain me. I won’t let them be a barrier. Instead they have become part of me. I grow between the bars, my creepers climb up them and I grow in the baskets that are hanging off them. I connect with you through all senses. See my colours, feel my textures, hear my wildlife, taste my flavours.

Just like you I have survived many storms. I got messy, blown away and scattered. I embraced many cultures. We united co-creating the spirit of life from different places and different times. I am Roses from England. Jasmines from Pakistan, Sunflowers from the Ukraine and more. One of my Roses was brought here to grow because it wasn’t thriving. Look at her now. To bloom is a victory. The tiniest seed is something quite incredible.

You can bring here your seeds of doubt. Let them grow into an idea, leave them open to encouragement and watch them germinate, When storms arrive with the threat of destruction remember the Buddleia plant. She was brought over from a different continent to be an ornament in an English garden. You can see her purple flowers all over this city taking root in the cracks in brick walls. She is programmed for survival.

Is there a community garden near you? How might you get involved?

This poem was inspired by the article “Sweet Food to Sweet Crude: Haunting Place Through Planet” by Sam Solnick. If you would like to read a copy of the article please email sns@liverpool.ac.uk