Roots understand everything.

Out of sight,

Yet they see it all

and never judge

A beauty,

An importance,

None goes unnoticed.

For roots

hidden underground,

Just drinking water

When they can

Coordinating behavior

As they can

If you could know

all the ways they connect,

If you could learn,

the commitments they know,

The cooperation too,

You wouldn’t apologize for your thorns either

Not when this thing, hidden but so vital.

Anchors those above

Branched network

Cues and pattern formation

Moments of peak

In fixed positions.

These roots

Anchors all that witness too.

This poem was inspired by one written by Lucille Clifton, my forever muse. I have always loved an effective approach section of a grant. Granted it’s my weakness and my most painful section to write. A thorn personifies this section well. Still, I know I must move past the pain to put forth a blueprint that tells the foundation of what I propose to do. Today I gave my first attempt at describing the approach section of a grant as roots, the foundation of everything. I used the Igbo cosmology of Ani (ground) because, Aniwe ( the earth owns) Aninye ( my maternal grandfather’s name, the earth gives) and Anikamadu ( the earth is bigger than people). When you think of your approach section like the ground, the earth, the roots, all that remains hidden about your grant becomes sterling in your eyes. Roots know what holds you, they see and witness all that centers you as you delve deeply into ways to make this work excel. I am at my zenith with this thing called grant writing because I know my roots.