The Mix of Chemicals

The Mix of Chemicals
by Gabe Redel


In this waterspout
was a mix of many chemicals.

When the gardener
would tip the spout
to pour the water over the soil,
she never knew
what might spring up.

Once an elephant grew right
out of the ground.
It jumped out of the dirt
and stamped down the road
almost colliding with a vehicle.

The gardener shook the spout
and swirled
the strange mix inside.
Exhaustion was in her eyes.

She didn’t always like
using the spout
because it was spontaneous,
but she knew that she had to use it.
She believed that if she worked with the spout enough
one day
it would begin to grow the right stuff.

A few years ago
she believed she had cracked
its wild streak.
When she poured the water over the soil,
she only saw positive growth,
but moments after
that growth
something combusted into a racketing band.
Trombones, trumpets, and guitars whaled away.
The musicians clamored down the street
until they were far out of earshot.

The day did come
when the spout
had found its balance.

No screaming jets flew from its water,
no hammering workers,
no splashing fish
slapping in the mud,
and not one explosion
lit up the sky.

Only strong, centered growth.
The gardener waited
on edge for a few minutes
just to make sure,
but it didn’t happen.
The spout had finally
cleaned itself up.

The gardener nodded her head
in approval.
She set the spout back
in its place
and looked one more time
at the fine work that she had done.

As she enjoyed her success
she could not help but to want
some of the craziness back.

She wanted randomness
and the surprises
that came with the strong mix
of different things
inside of her.

She felt happy now,
but happiness and being content
are only two of the things
she had during all those years of finding herself.