Talking Yucca

Friends –

The wilderness, in general, gives one peace of mind.  For me, this is particularly true in the high desert. Once that peace of mind is achieved, the opportunity then arises to listen to what the desert has to say. It is important to listen to these messages which come to us through the changes in quantity and type of plants, animals and soil.  The messages are also channeled through various knowledgeable mediums including the raven, coyote, lizard, wind, cottonwood and yucca. 

 I find that one of the more 'talkative' of desert shrubs is the yucca plant -- the dried yucca flower in particular. One of my favorite places to listen to them is on the white rim above the Colorado River because silence there can be immense, especially in the winter months.

 A plant such as the yucca, which has been around for more than 40 million years, has a historical background that is well worth listening to. I have come upon the yucca while it is still bearing the older, dried flowers at the same time as the young cream-colored flowers are still blooming. The young blossoms are beautiful, but it is the dried flower that compels me to draw closer to hear their wisdom.  They rattle and chatter in such a way that you know a message is there.

 Sometimes I think it is a message of thanks, joy and gratitude for the deep blue sky and survival.  But as of late I sense a message of foreboding; one that warns of what could happen if we fail to care for our precious wilderness lands and continue in the trend that we seem to be heading.

 We need to listen.

margie lopez read