Seedling Choice

Oh, Happy Day!
The heirloom tomato seeds have sprouted
The first set of real leaves are present
It’s time!!
They get to stretch their branches
Sink further their roots
Even sprout adventitious roots
As they are planted into new rich soil
In their new homes.

But there is angst
Dwelling with joy
Mingling with life.

It seems accidental seeds
Were planted
There are sets of twins
Cohabiting in one bed
Growing side by side
Nearly Siamese in appearance.

Sadness clenches my throat
(Embarrassing to admit, yes!)
I must make a decision
Which one lives?
Do I try to save both?

Logic – rational thought
Tells me
“Cut off the weaker plant at its base.
Don’t disturb the roots”
The voice of reason admonishes
“You have too many plants already!”

A voice I call love
Speaks quietly
“If you separate them
Trying to save both
They both may die.”

I laugh silently
At my “dilemma”
Wishing in a way
That I was not so sensitive
To the life of a seedling
When there are such
Bigger problems
In our suffering world.

I decide to separate one set of twins
Giving them each a chance to survive
I mark their new containers - “Separated twin”
Call it science.

Then I move on to another pair
I press out the cube of starter soil
Planning to sacrifice the weaker plant
When Voila!
The soil plug breaks apart
Leaving the twins fully separated
I am relieved of the burden of choice!

As I continue to work in the dirt,
I reflect
On the pain suffered daily
As women make choices of far greater significance

Wherever one might position oneself
On the debate,
I wonder, can we agree
These women 
Who face their own momentous decisions
For reasons unknown to us
Reasons which dwell deeply in their hearts
These women
Deserve our compassion
Deserve our love?
We know not their grief
We know not their struggle.
But may they know our love.
May they know our compassion.