Atlas Pooped!

Adam sat with his back to 'The Garden' fence and looked up at the predawn moon. He saw Sirius (the dog constellation) plainly but what was the name of that next constellation? Eve had named it and traced with her finger the bow and the belt. The belt, yeah, yeah, Orion! Orion walked with his Sirius on cold mornings as he had with his own dogs. He'd have to get home soon and walk 'em. A cool wind rang The Garden chimes urging him to move. The peace and the beauty begged him to stay. He'd dally.

The new garden was slowly coming together. The raised beds were laid out some with permanent stone walls some with whatever was available. Soil had been scarce or more exactly worms and bugs were scarce. They'd come and were slowly showing up, 'tho not always the good ones first! Thus what he'd planted was thin and haphazard. Better something to eat than nothing. A couple of pears, a nectarine, and a fig, with hope for the future but nothing for tonight's plate. God would provide but it wasn't The Old Garden, God had tasks and tests. A light frost had been the most recent test. He had pull in most of what had grown. Much was small and could have used a few more weeks to mature, but better something than nothing. There was still much to do in the new garden, but days start late in Fall he could dally. God wouldn't mind if he enjoyed the moment. And what was that?

Too bright for a star. Not a planet. He couldn't make his eyes bring it into focus. It was fuzzy and a bit of a shape to it. Could it be, must be a comet, a sign. An omen of great importance, good, bad, who could know the future. He'd show Eve and would name it after his great nephew Atlas. He had met Atlas for the first time the night before. A loud and happy child who had drummed on the table, babbled and cooed. Perhaps if God heard he'd named it after such a beautiful innocent he'd have mercy. Perhaps it could portend great good events. Since leaving The Garden they'd seen much that was sad and difficult. He wanted good, not easy, just good Lord.

He thought of the futory book he'd read from the library. Alexander at the End of the World, Alexander might have been "Great" but his greatness was not gentle and it was not good. Alexander was far in the future so he knew this was not the message of the comet. He also knew his sons were locked in a vicious argument as to who should lead but the library wouldn't tell him how that would end. Perhaps their argument would settle and the peace was thus not worthy of a book in the library, or a comet. Perhaps he sighed, perhaps.

God only tells us so much of what will be and he asks that we make our purpose. Just as Adam's garden fed him he was in God's hands. Ah, the garden! The sun was now rising, it was fall and there was much to do in the garden. He looked again to 'Atlas' in the sky and headed away from The Garden to his own.

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small gardens & small government

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