The nature spirits worked with me
in my garden. As I crawled up
and down the rows, weeding,
fat brown rabbit
fat brown rabbit
hopping along beside me, nibbling,
I'd whisper "pretty, pretty!"
to encourage the tender shoots.
That garden grew so lush, showering
fruit and vegetables of every kind:
platters of watermelon, canteloupe,
strawberries, grapes, to feed
my leggy, hungry children.
Squash and zuchinni, peas, beets
and carrots: up and down the rows
we went, collecting nature's bounty
for supper, in late afternoon.
for supper, in late afternoon.
Early mornings, I loved the slow
swish-swish-swish of the sprinkler,
its wide arc showering droplets
onto the thirsty plants below.
It wasn't Findhorn's Garden, but
it came close. It seemed a miracle
that so much growth could come
of tiny seeds, and sun and water -
with the blessing of the nature spirits,
turning our world green.
for earthweal, where the challenge is to honour an element of the commons we live in. Brendan's essay, which mentions Findhorn, took me back to my gardening days, the years when I and my kids and the world were young.
loved the greeness of this poem!
ReplyDeleteThose days were so verdant with hope! Your garden was lush with it. Is lush in memory, maybe that's the greening that counts. Can be lush again in poetry. Is lush.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading about your garden. It reminded me of my grandmother’s garden filled with fresh vegetables. She would make us the best tomato sandwiches. Sigh..I miss her. Thanks for stirring a memory.
ReplyDeleteLove the peek into long ago chapter in your life, Sherry .... cheers.
ReplyDeleteNow that's the kind of garden that could feed a nation--if in many wheres all at once. LOVE!
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures of your kids! And what a wonderful garden filled with love.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely poem Sherry. I really enjoyed reading it for I too love gardening. Lets hope the legions of people who love to garden can help turn our world green.
ReplyDeletesorry - did it again. Anonymous is -Suzanne from Mapping Uncertainty
ReplyDeleteI never had such a garden, but my grandfather did, and my brother after him. Both plowed their suburban yards up to plant their bounty, much to the chagrin of their neighbors. Such a wonderful gift to give your children.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful Sherry. love the garden and the hope and the abundance and the photos. and the rabbit too. Just so lovely and real and practical. we need to be able to feed ourselves and stop traveling our food all over the world at great expense both in money and carbon and wastage. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem, Sherry, my wife's the gardener but I like the physical labour of weeding!! JIM
ReplyDeleteI think not only the vegetables and such were planted in that garden but also your good self, to grow, green rooted into the world
ReplyDelete