Friday from the Archives: “How Does Your Garden Grieve?” by Martin K. Smith from NCLR 10 (2001)
By Kenly Corya, Editorial Assistant
“There was once a man who suffered from depression.” In this unflinching short story, Martin K. Smith conveys the reality of depression with a tone reminiscent of the Brothers Grimm. Accompanied by fairy-tale style illustrations by Louise Zjawin Francke, Smith tells the tale of a man and his garden.
Through clever language and allusions to familiar fairy tales, readers will feel as if they are walking through this curious garden with the narrator. By using the garden as a metaphor, Smith candidly depicts chronic or persistent depression: “The garden is in constant flower.”
“He does not speak of his sad garden to many, not trusting the response. Reactions, indeed, have varied. Some people don’t take it seriously: they are the ones who come with bright advice and bouquets of cheer-you-ups. They enrage him. He has learned to spot such people at a distance, and to avoid them. Others might see his garden as a tragedy and himself as a poor emotional cripple to be cosseted and sheltered by pity. He steers clear of these types, too. Their pity, meant to clear away the garden, only fertilizes it instead. Some even dare to suggest that some part of his soul might want the garden to persist. He hates that idea with a passion, all the more because some small logical part of his mind insists it might be true.”
Many people experience depression throughout their lives, but the reality of depression is often difficult to understand without living through it yourself. Smith’s rich metaphors highlight the nature of this condition and articulate misconceptions associated with depression.
Martin K. Smith’s novels and short stories can be found on his website.
Read the entire short story on Gale Cengage or purchase a copy of the 2001 issue featuring science fiction and fantasy
Artwork by Louise Zjawin Francke (created for NCLR)