Gardening
And there we were, weeding, weeding and yanking all that evil from our souls. 
I knew there needed to be a hyacinth somewhere in my story, but I didn't know where to plant it. My hands were looking for soil. Everything else was of secondary importance. I had to keep in touch. There was once a bird which helped me. It pecked. I always knew pecking was innate, an instinct. I've met so many peckers and husbands. Something about the Garden of Eden. That it isn't really a garden, and I'm not even sure what Eden means. But all the seeds are there, and there is always hope. Then I start reading this story again, but in a different order, and somehow it still makes sense.
© Nora Nadjarian
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Author's Note
Previously published in Elimae (December 2009)
Other stories by Nora Nadjarian
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A stunning piece of writing. "I knew there needed to be a hyacinth somewhere in my story, but I didn't know where to plant it." - Oh, my. The ending to this work is just right. Wonderful read, Nora.
Thanks, Sam. Comments like these make me so happy... Keep me going... (and there is always hope)
love this...thrilled to be in with you!
sam quotes my favorite line as well
Wow--metafictional fineness!
My own favorite line won't be Sam's and David's but rather this: "I've met so many peckers and husbands."
Thanks David and Susan!I'm thrilled. Really.
Wonderful, Nora. My favorite is also "I've met so many peckers and husbands." Brilliant!
Thanks, Marcelle! Yes, "peckers and husbands"... Women know what I'm talking about ;-)
Ha, I loved the peckers and hubbies line too. Great stuff here.
Laughed out loud during this one. Yes, pecking is innate.
All the seeds are here. There is always laughter.
Wow. I'll leave it at that :)
Thanks again David! Much appreciated. Thanks Larry and Sushmita. Nice to have so many positive comments. I had a good feeling about this story, especially when it was accepted in "elimae". As most of you know, it is not the easiest of journals to be published in, so I'm doubly pleased.
I love love love this piece of metafiction. Great work!
i love how this bends back on itself without emptying out - instead, it gains momentum coming at the story of creation from a different, unexpected angle: "But all the seeds are there, and there is always hope." lovely. positively christmasy...great writing, nora.
rereading this story in different orders all made gorgeous prose sense.
such a good coincidence. i read the piece in elimae this week, and was stunned by it. now i just saw it's up here, too.
thank you all for the comments!
Lovely!
a delightful progression that feels carried along by the logic of dreams
I like the way this moves betwixt and between tangible stuff and abstractions (and how sometimes a single sentence or image is both these things), and the interweaving of the metafictional element. This is brilliant: "I've met so many peckers and husbands."
oh, wow! thanks so much guys, all of you! i love your comments, thank you, thank you....