“There was a pact between us . . .
not just to survive
we will thrive”
At the time of writing this poem I was struggling with a few life issues and being out in the sun , in the garden with the herbs and the birds I realised how wonderful it was to be alive and to be strong and I had a new feeling to live life to the fullest.
a solitary tomato plant
feast your eyes on the green a healing colour
said hildegard of bingen
let its thousand shades and dappled ways
imbue your eyes
give resilience
i carry her words into my garden
plant out chilli chives and coriander
zucchini lettuce of different kin and basil
and a solitary weedy tomato plant from the throw-out table
there’s a pact between us
not just to survive
we will thrive
i prepare the soil with extra blood-and-bone
gently plant it out settle it in
with stakes for it to climb
circle with sawdust to ward off those
that love to munch
under the sprinkler
its limp leaves uncurl
sit up so vibrantly
i hear it grow
in the garden I come alive
the soil
and its rich textured compost
feel good
I marvel
my scraps now this wonder
the worms
have worked their magic
a kookaburra sits above
a magpie stalks
turned soil their turn on
smell of sun-warmed grass
lightly so lightly wafts
i stand stretch watch a white butterfly hover
in shorts and sleeveless top
i enjoy the sun
resilient in my gardening boots and gloves
i manoeuvre the wheel-barrow
and we patiently wait to bloom