ficus

Why the machinery? Dig deep and there you are, little jewel buried in layers of silt. Water, ice and wind your enticing sirens, floods and glacial activity spur you on. ‘Lotus plants take root in muddy, silty wetlands, but their large, showy flowers blossom above water.’ Show any flair of personality and may the devil take you. Last night I dreamt of ficus oil, sold in little glass tubes amongst frankincense and cinnamon. I have learnt that the ficus stems far back into the magical world of the Bodhi tree, a symbol of awakening long before the Buddha sat beneath its leaves and gained enlightenment. ‘Ficus religiosa’, the Bodhi’s botanical name. Its leaves even provide nourishment to elephants. Little laced tales spun in silver to catch our minds. I wonder if we could all do with a drop of ficus oil.