urban photo journal: crawl space and cactus plant

it's a bit creepy to imagine what could be going on beyond that dark grilled portal. a look into the netherworld would probably reveal a realm where alley cats terrorize the mice, where curious opossums may wander and bugs multiply by the millions and send out their troops into the world.

above ground, a stark and beautiful microcosmic urban landscape dwells in this image. i see courage in the struggling cactus. i see life in the rocky patch of soil in which the cactus has resolutely planted itself. this resilient creature gleans a few sprinkles of morning dew and revels in random splashes occasionally thrown its way from a nearby water hose. it clings on for dear life. in its own way, this brave plant has given joy to the world by its mere being, existing and hanging on to precious life.

today, it gave me joy .. to see it survive in the barrenness of the city. come spring, flowers will proudly bloom from its prickly columns. every plant, struggling or not, sprightly and green, old and withered, can ultimately regain vitality, often at the hands of a caring gardener, but also by its own virtue - the tenacious will to survive. i've got a lot to learn from a cactus.