Looking at my garden I can see the small shoots coming up.
An anger flower is just beginning to poke through the surface.

I should dig it up.
Free up valuable space.
Space to plant seeds.
Seeds of contentment.

I set to the task.

It's time to ready my tools.
A gallon of drinking water,
a shovel
and my trusty garden boots.

Anger flowers are tricky
you can snap off the roots very easily
with very little force.

It's the plant's 'lizard tail fake out'.

Their way of saying
"Oh no, you got me,
okay I'm all dead now
so you can just...
fill the hole back in now.
Nothing to see here."

They are sneaky that way
but I'm onto them.

I keep digging.

I need to uncover every bit of their roots
so they can be removed
whole.

All they need is one tiny rhizome to begin regrowth.
No rhizome left behind.

Digging through the layers of time
and decay
I can see the soil is teaming
teaming with little bug thoughts
and they are thriving!

I apologize to worm memories
for halving them during this excavation.
They don't seem to bothered
but what do I know?
A few feet down,
after careful digging,
I get to the bottom of the root.

Ahh I didn't break it

Hmmm...
I'm into the pain layer now.
I see where anger flower is getting its nutrients.
Should I upend my entire garden?
Excavate the whole Pain layer?
I'd bee cutting off the fuel source for these damn anger flowers.
I'd have to away what is beneficial on top
then heap it up in piles
maybe around the edges of the whole garden
and the haul away the entire pain layer.
I'd be rid of it..
It's too big of a thought.
I just keep digging.

and keep digging.

I want to see.
How deep does this pain layer even go?

It's changing.
I'm starting to hit a new layer now
Oh!
It's the innocence layer
and teaming with hyphae.
I didn't think anything could be living down here so buried.
They're so cute!
I wish my whole garden was like this.
What a joyful place!

For a few moments I consider procuring a rototiller
but then it hits me.
This IS the way of my garden.
These are the foundational layers.
Life is going on as expected.

I keep my eyes focused on the mission.
Extract the anger flowers.
Roots intact.
Before they bloom.
Before they spread their seeds.

I've dug out everything that surrounds the flower's roots
it's been a goodly amount of time
the anger flower has just been laying sideways in a hole.
Flopped on its side.
Baking in the sun.
Unprotected by the warm, moist soil.
The tops of the plant are beginning to wilt.
it's funny looking now
huh kinda silly even

After a chuckle
I finally pull up the anger flower - roots in tact.

I fill in the hole
with the soil I dug out
and place the anger flower on the porch
to whither in the sun.
No mercy here.

The shovel rests on the ground beside my feet
like a buddy or a soldier waiting for orders - We have a nice long sit together.
My face grows naturally into it's most comfortable position - a smile.

I'm just watching the anger flower lay there on the porch - in the sun.
Not so powerful now huh 'lil one.
Nothing is powerful without it's fuel source.
You coulda' been big if I let you stay in there.
Those are thick roots.
I think I caught it in time.

Smile and a breath out.
When did I last breathe in?

When I reach for the shovel to return it to the shed
I notice another little anger flower popping up through the soil.

I start digging.
We're on a mission.