miriam waddington: advice to the young

1

Keep bees and

grow asparagus,

watch the tides

and listen to the

wind instead of

the politicians

make up your own

stories and believe

them if you want to

live the good life.

2

All rituals

are instincts

never fully

trust them but

study to im-

prove biology

with reason.

3

Digging trenches

for asparagus

is good for the

muscles and

waiting for the

plants to settle

teaches patience

to those who are

usually in too

much of a hurry.

4

There is morality

in bee-keeping

it teaches how

not to be afraid

of the bee swarm

it teaches how

not to be afraid of

finding new places

and building in them

all over again.

Waddington, Miriam. "Advice to the Young" The New Oxford Book of Canadian Verse in English. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1982.