A Silent Call By Nature
I Disturb Things And Then Again Fix Them
I am trying to make my yard neat
Tailored to my own satisfaction
Over the winter
Many things have happened
We retreated away from the harsh cold and the snow
Indoors to a warmer and more calming surroundings
Under a pile of blankets or different colored comforters
I did hide
Snuggled in position
Enjoying a good movie
Sandwiched between four of our throw pillows
When we are too lazy to grab our own pillow from the bedroom
The grass all grey and the ground as hard as cement
Old leaves shoved in all the corners pressed under rocks and under our front stairs
Even more leaves blown and jammed deep under our back deck
Where the fierce winds have repeatedly shoved them
This is where I find the leaves and slowly pull them out of their wedges
Big old branches have been removed from their bodies
Broken and twisted like the smaller ones that have been also snapped
Picking them up by hand
One by one
Raking the charcoal soil
Looking for any sign of life
As I gather sticks like an old indian would collect wild berries
Bending so much my sides and stomach ache
They are not heavy
My arms and neck still feel the studden shock
Of reaching and tugging
As I rake continually for over two hours
Where there is one branch or stick
There are many more that follow
A quick snap of wood
The handle of the rake couldn't take anymore
Layers of still frozen leaves sit
Even though the warm sun has made it's grand appearance
In the 60's one day and topped off by the 70's on the next
Dropped down to 43 at night
A light drizzle that later turned to rain
Made the dirt I was covered in
Now turn to mud and my clothes began to become soaking wet
How could I stop now?
When I have so much more to do
Armed in dungaries and an old light lumber jacket
Soon my big toe poked through an old pair of socks
It made every attempt to be a lookout
In the pitch black and down right dark old beat up pair of sneakers
With soles worn flat and laces tripled tied tight because they were so long
Later I entered my home only to come out quickly after
Getting two bottles of water and a belt
My dungaries kept sliding on me
I could feel the breeze up my backside
Annoying as heck and I didn't want to give the neighbors a free show
A little after eight
I cut open and dispersed the fourteenth bag of rich red mulch
That helped to line the driveway on either side
As I rolled up my tangled cord
From the mower that I used to mulch the abundance of leaves
Into a smaller pile
I continued to spread the tiny crushed leaves in certain spots
They lie under the mulch
My creative way to save on buying extra mulch
The leaves serve as a base
The mulch covers them and is propped up to a round mound
As nature will break down the mulch and the leaves naturally during the summer
To early to plant
I look for every plant I have planted over the years
To see who will survive
I should see my Hosta plants cutting through the surface of the ground
I look carefully
No luck as of yet
Enough for one day
My body physically exhausted from all the work
I head indoors where I can't wait to get into a wonderful hot shower
Lathering up myself with extra soap and scrubbing down hard
To reveal my clean skin
Only one third of the yard has been done so far
I will be back at it real soon
Giving the leaves time to dry out once again
My body much needed rest
From this day of pure torture
Questions & Answers
Comments
AUTHORGypsy Rose Lee There is a lot of work when you grow your own vegetables. There is something beautiful about having plants that you grew that produce food that you eat. In the past, I have dealt with bugs and disease that destroyed most of my garden. After all my hard work I had very little to show. It is cheaper to buy vegetables at the store and saves you a lot of time. So I grow more flowers and a few vegetable plants today. Reaching a happy medium. Even one plant is wonderful and rewarding. Thank you for reading and sharing. Have a good morning.
Sounds like you got a really great workout. I remember many years ago back in Latvia when it was still worth it to plant potatoes to get a good batch. This was before the new century rolled in so the end of the 1990s. We had cleared a great patch of ground and put in about 10 rows, Once they started going so to speak I crawled around row after row weeding. It was then that I vowed that I would never do this again. My words must have been heard because the Latvian farmers finally started producing good potatoes in great batches and we never had to plant them again, Hope you're having a great new week.
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Genna East You pointed out the good and the bad of winter and my struggle to tackle any home projects to get the yard cleaned up. I appreciate you reading my poem and my attempts to welcome Spring with open arms. I had a beautiful Easter and I hope yours was terrific too. Have a wonderful day and may you be filled with energy and excitement.
This is so well written. I like how you juxtapositioned our retreat from the bitter cold, huddled in warmth, as the leaves huddle together in nooks and crannies. And how Mother Nature puts down her winter mark, left for us to tidy up for the new season of life. It's a LOT of work...but a great feeling when it is done -- like the harbingers of spring. Happy Easter.
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John Hansen It is such a good feeling when we accomplish good deeds. Especially when we can see the beauty in our work for months to come. Thank you for all your comments and support. I would also love to hear how you make out with your yard? I have pulled a muscle in my back and I used Blu-Emu and it helped me. An all natural cream that works into the muscle. If my muscle really aches I use Heat or Ben Gay. With Easter only days away I hope your family and friends have a good day.
- AUTHOR
Louise Powles I was planning to head out in the yard a little before work this morning but my mind said yes and my body said no. I am going to wait till Monday. Busy for the next two days. Happy Easter to everyone and may this year be as wonderful as we would like it to be. Thank you for reading and sharing. Keep me updated on all your progress so I can share in your joy.
This is an apt poem. It is the time of year for getting the yard and garden sorted out. I have been out in my back yard cleaning up and making it tidy. I need to start on the front yard before long.
Dream On, it sounds like you certainly did a hard days work. I can relate, I weeded and covered one front garden with sugar cane mulch, then mowed the back yard. I still have three more gardens to weed and mulch and the front yard to mow. Unfortunately, I seem to have twisted my back and can't bend down at the moment. I should still be able to mow tomorrow but the rest of the garden weeding will need to wait. Thanks for sharing this.
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