the plant at the top of my stairs could really use a new pot.
it’s grown heaps and i think would like to grow some more.
but i quite like the planter it’s in. the way the shiny
wavy bronze reflects the morning sun,
and the plant hasn’t died yet.

so now i must choose,
do i keep the container, aesthetically pleasing
because i pretty much purchased the plant
in order to use the pot?

(this is the easy choice
requiring no effort or action
other than to continue the weekly water) 

or do i shift my gaze to the beautiful plant within
glossy and alive, deep pine-tree green,
and do the work, invest a bit, provide it the space to live
and flourish more beautiful still?

and metaphorically i wonder then how often we choose
the container we’re living in, beautifying the exterior
wearing shiny masks for others, limiting our growth 
and settling for a familiar, root-bound way of living
instead of doing the bit of work we need 
to thrive?

       —philosophical thoughts because of a potted plant

heather pound 2025

Photo by Ben Iwara For Unsplash+