by Katie Bauer

Harvesting True Growth (HTG) is a nonprofit serving and organized by felons and ex-felons. Their mission is: “To provide an ongoing harvest of healthy food, education in horticulture, and healthy cooking skills that support the community, help instill a healthy lifestyle, create a strong work ethic, and show our responsible concern for the community.” The following poem was written by one of the members who is now the President of the Board of HTG. To learn more about HTG, visit:
www.harvestingtruegrowth.weebly.com.

The Gate

by Lauren LaPlante, laurenlynnlaplante(at)yahoo(dot)com

The years passed in prison
With so little good to find
No hope or rhyme or reason there
And those around me, blind.

As time passed on and by me
The time brought me a place
This place gave me a garden there
The garden gave me a gate
We’ve opened it to hopefulness
Accomplishment and grace
And work together side by side
With sun upon our face

A paradise where we forget
This never ending time
We know of who we can become
Regardless of our crime

This gate I call our blessing
So tiny sweet and blue
Pass it into a miracle
Produced by me and you.

Tags: garden, gardening, horticulture, horticulture therapy, prison

Posted: Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010