Susan Hawthorne #133 the vegetable garden resists us

the vegetable garden resists us

so many years we have planted

and nurtured only nut grass

and a few sweet potatoes

so with boots gloves long-handled

shovel and long matured and mellowed

bin of moist smelling compost

we begin again

weeding turning picking and digging

the compost is poured over newly

turned earth new soil added

mixed and raked over

sugar-cane mulch tops the stew

and the small seedlings plucked

placed dug into position and watered
we sing to the plants call on rain and a miracle