The Garden Where Good Things Grew

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There was a garden where good things grew
carrots and lettuce and sunflowers to name a few
the sun would shine and the breeze would blow
the best thing was, they were free to grow

at the head of each row stood a cactus
those were good for keeping invaders away
as long they keep their distance
and kept their thorns at bay

about the same time every year
the garden was afflicted
pestilence would pervade
and many of the gardenites became sickened

one year the bugs brought a new virus
that was particularly petulant
and even more noxious
was the onslaught of the many conflicting messages

they must go to great lengths to stop the spread
most all of the gardenites agreed
yet some wondered about the cost
of the freedoms that they would cede

the cactuses took charge
and ordered a tarp to be pulled over the garden
to some, this was reassuring
to some, this was alarming

it kept out some of the bugs
but also blocked all the sunshine
they were told it was temporary
they could survive until… sometime

a few weeks turned into a few months
curves and flowers were flattened
while the gardenites quarreled about graphs and statistics
their stalks and their stems became blackened

strife and suspicion grew wild
branches of truth became twisted
they lost track of time and dignity
until one day the tarp was finally lifted

the garden looked quite different
it was not a pretty sight
countenances were darkened
without nutrients, without light

many were found infected and many had died
some from the bugs that still got in
but many more from the thorns
that were found in their sides

they were shriveled and gaunt
sure signs of famine
wilted and wanting and wishing
that ramifications had been fully examined

was it always for their own good
or more for the good of the whole
was the whole thing good
if it robbed so many of their soul

those that were left
might well have perished too
because growth was no longer a value
under the new form of garden rule

they would no longer debate
the graphs and best practices
because all that was left
were the commands of the cactuses