The BDSM Garden another of elaines favorites....
I was struck by the feeling of beauty and peace immediately. All of my
senses were treated to a virtual feast as I sat on a stone bench and
contemplated what was laid out before me. The garden was symmetrical,
well designed and enclosed within a wall. A large gate could be seen in
the wall toward the right and leading from this gate was a flagstone
walkway that circled the garden. Branching out from this walkway were
many smaller, unpaved paths that disappeared in the garden rows. One end
of the garden was shaded by a small stand of trees, some were fruit
trees, others were sturdy hardwoods. The songs of birds filled the air
and my ears. Butterflies and bees worked diligently over the flowers
that had opened in the morning sun. The air was heavy with the scent of
fresh, rich earth and the sweet floral perfume from the blossoms that
had splashed their colors over a background of multiple shades of
green.   It was lovely and I was totally absorbed in the vision.
After awhile I became aware of the presence of another in the garden. I
was startled at first and tried to explain I was only visiting to look
at this beautiful place. The unseen presence spoke, "Don't be silly.
You are not a visitor here. This is your garden. I'm only here to explain
what you see."
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"I don't understand," I said and started to looked around to see from
where the voice was coming but stopped when I felt a hand touch my
shoulder. "How could this be my garden?," I asked.
"It is yours because you helped to plant it and nurture it," the voice
replied. I was struggling to understand what I had just heard, when he
spoke again. "Walk with me as I explain what this garden means," the
voice said. At that I stood and began to walk along the stone walkway
that circled the garden. Somehow it seemed natural to be walking with
this, yet unseen, man.
"Everything here means something, little one. Each thing represents
things that are often hard to see with your normal vision and some can
only be seen with your heart. Reach down and take a handful of the soil
and study it for a moment."
I stooped and took a handful of the soft, damp earth and felt its
 warmth in my hand. I held it up to my nose and inhaled its rich aroma.
"What do you see and feel?," the voice asked.
"I feel the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the earth, the
strength of the stone that formed it and the softness of the dew
moistened it, and it smells of living, growing things," I answered.
"Very good," the voice said. "That soil represents the hearts of the two
that worked together to make this garden, you and the One you love.
 Each of you have given different elements to make this soil rich and fertile
Without it there would be no growth and anything planted here would
 have starved before it could have matured."
He continued, "See the walls around the garden? They are here for
protection and they keep the garden safe from those who would do harm
here for their own selfish reasons. That gate is provided for those you
trust to enter this place of beauty. The One you love has made these
walls strong with His love. The stone walkway is for trusted visitors
but the unpaved paths are for just the two of you to tread upon. Not
 all of your garden is for others to see too closely. Let them enjoy
 it from a distance."
Laid out in long wide rows, in several place in the garden, were
beautiful plants, all similar but with various colored flowers. These
plants were in full bloom and were heavy with sweet fruit.
"What are these?," I asked. "They are so beautiful."
"Yes, these plants are among the most beautiful in the garden and you'll
find them scattered all through the other rows," said the voice. "They
are the plants of Love and will bear fruit in all seasons for the rest
of their lives. It was one of the first things you planted here and you
have eaten of its fruit often. You must never prune it and should allow
Love to grow freely so that it may mingle with all the other things that
grow in the garden. Without it the other plants will perish. Remember
that Love comes in a variety of colors and shapes so it's often hard to
recognize it at first. Be careful when you are weeding so that a tender
young plant isn't pulled out by mistake. Share its seeds, fruit and
blossoms unselfishly with anyone who visits here to insure Love will
always remain healthy."
I smiled and walked to the next group of plants. They were small but
stoutly built and I noticed the soil here wasn't as well cultivated as
in other areas. "What are these feisty looking plants?," I questioned
 as I stooped to smell a bright red blossom.
The voice answered with a slight laugh, "Those are plants of Courage.
Without them your first seeds may have never sprouted. They do best in
 a place that requires a challenge for them to grow. You'll notice them
most abundantly in spots where the soil is rocky and hard and it is wise
not to try to baby them or they will become spindly and weak. Let them
alone and they will always grow in the worst of times." I lingered just
a minute to admire the Courage's hardiness and then moved along the
walkway.
Looking up I saw intermingled rows of two elegant plants. One, slightly
larger than the other, was filled with bright yellow flowers. The
smaller of the two was speckled with pink blossoms. Their fragrance was
pleasing and it drew me to them. As I knelt to examine them I touched a
yellow flower very gently and softly smelled one of the pink ones.
The voice said, "You have found the plants of Respect and Faith, both
very essential in your garden. Faith's pink bloom will remind you during
the winter's coldest days that spring will follow and your garden will
survive. Respect's yellow flowers will remind you of the service you owe
this garden to keep it free of the Weeds of Indifference. These plants
of Respect will also insure that all of the other plants will live in
harmony and will allow each kind it's own space to develop and grow.
We walked on for a few minutes and then stopped before a row of delicate
little plants. Their fragile flowers filled the air with a soft scent
that made my heart feel light. I noticed that along either side of this
row was a row of larger, hardy plants that seemed to almost overshadow
the smaller ones. They had no flowers but were armed with strong thorns
along some of their branches. I touched one of the thorns and was
surprised that it did not prick my finger but instead I felt a strange
sense of comfort from its pressure on my finger tip. Scattered among
 the thorns were softer looking plants with two varieties of flowers, one
white, the other blue.
" What an interesting combination of plants," I remarked. "They almost
seem to be out of place together."
The voice spoke softly, "Those plants are what make your garden
different than some others you may see. The tiny plants are Flowers of
Submission and you feel the lightness in your heart because they come
from seeds you brought here. The larger, stronger looking plants are
Thorns of Domination, a gift from the One you love. They can only exist
together. Your Submission Flowers need the shelter and protection of
  the Thorns of Domination to grow and bloom. The Thorns need the nectar from
the Flowers to survive. Those plants mixed among the Thorns are called
Compassion and Trust. Compassion's pure white flowers will temper the
growth of the Thorns so that they never overtake Submission's tender
growth. Trust's blue blossoms will always give Submission the desire to
open its delicate petals and nourish the Thorns."
As I touched another thorn the voice chuckled, "My Thorns aren't so bad
are they, little one?
My head bowed in recognition of His voice and I answered as a smile
spread across my face, "No, Master, they are not so bad at all."
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