Mark Phillips' Pages: Workbook: 10/18/03: I bought a Loosestrife plant, intending to send some of its leaves to an estranged friend.

Jacob Lawrence, "The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture No. 11" (1938) — Jacob Lawrence, *The Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture No. 11. The society of the Friends of the Blacks was formed in England, 1778, the leading members being Price, Priestly, Sharp, Clarkson and Wilberforce.* (1938)

October 18, 2003:

I bought a Loosestrife plant, intending to send some of its leaves to an estranged friend. In magical botany, Loosestrife is used in spells of reconciliation. I suppose this gesture was technically a spell, although I didn't do the ritual. I just really love this friend and was attracted to the lovely symbolism of the leaves.

My friend responded negatively to the attempt. In time the little plant withered and died. I left its brown vine-like corpse half-twined around the lamp where it had grown. In a way I sortof liked that symbolism too. A dead hope.

Long time later, close to a year, a thin green shoot suddenly appeared alongside the withered brown plant. To say I was surprised would be quite the understatement. Hadn't been watering the thing: it was dead. Thought to myself, "What does that mean?

Over the summer it grew steadily. In the fall, to my surprise and great delight, my friend contacted me. We talked, it was wonderful, we plan to talk some more. The little plant has grown strong and is reaching for the light that enters my west-facing windows.