A Half-Built Garden

by Ruthanna Emrys

The first power was nature. In humanity’s infancy, power was not yet ours to hold. Laws and forces beyond human comprehension shaped our lives, and everything we did was aimed at survival. The second power was spirit. Incomprehensible forces took on form and personality. We struggled to comprehend their whims, and power was born from divine approval. The third power was law. We decided what we thought right, and set principles above any king. Power became at last a human thing. The fourth power was money. The forms we built took on life of their own, and the power we created escaped from our grasp and devoured us. The fifth power is nature. We understand the wisdom in the forces that first shaped us, but now we adapt to them, learn from their patterns, and dance with them. Power is ours, but not ours alone, and we can create harmony with the world.