mountainpepper

Crisp end of winter morning,
My shovel digs the soil,
Turning over weeds and worms,
And watch them twist and coil…
Hoe the dirt once more again,
Until a soft and silky bed,
Then plant seeds, where once grew weeds,
And grow vegetables instead.

Watch out for snails!
Watch out for slugs!
Watch out for earwigs!
Watch out for harlequin bugs!

In two weeks or a little more,
Shoots of green grow from the seeds,
Now fighting for their patch of ground,
But a little later than…the weeds,
And so I’m down upon my knees,
Working out what plant is what,
Making sure carrot and parsnip,
Are growers in this garden plot.

Watch out for sparrows!
Watch out for silver eyes!
Watch out for blackbirds!
Watch out for magpies!

Summer sun and drying winds,
Summer storms with chance of hail,
Caterpillars, thrips and aphis,
Do their best to have me fail,
But murder…mayhem travel well,
With snail bait, dusts and poison spray,
Scarecrows, nets and old wine casks,
To keep marauding birds at bay.

Watch out for virus’s!
Watch out for rot!
Watch out for mildew!
Watch out for black spot!

Late summer, autumn and the plants,
Are looking rather worn,
The leaves are dry, stems are dead,
As nature typifies her scorn.
For death will come with winter cold,
But thankfully the harvest flesh,
Has been worth the season trials,
To dine on garden fresh.

SarahNSH

Hello!

You know what? When I was reading this poem of yours I was thinking that it'd be great for a kid that likes gardening and I thought that that may be a very interesting audience to read this poem/let them experience this poem of yours. I was struck with this thought when I especially came to the parts like this one: "Watch out for snails!
Watch out for slugs!
Watch out for earwigs!
Watch out for harlequin bugs!"

Anywho, I thought that I'd share that thought with you. I'm not a gardener myself, I've tried but everything I touch that is a plant dies at my fingertips. This poem made me want to be a gardener to kind of realize this kind of experience and I think especially with your last stanza you ended your poem very strongly. I especially enjoyed the last bit of imagery and the last two lines. Just one question though who will be dining on garden fresh? At first I was thinking the person who created it but then, remembering the bugs, slugs, ect, I was wondering if it might be them too.

I really do think you did a good job with this poem and keep on writing!

mountainpepper

G'day SarahNSH...
Thanks for reading for commenting...we have a saying here 'I'd rather find a slug in my lettuce leaf than half a slug.' We've always had a veggie garden and the point I'm trying to get across is...its a heck of a battle with everything fighting for a piece of the bounty, especially if you are like me and despise using chemicals. I guess we are all a part of nature and every living creature has to eat...but they don't have to eat my bloody veggies!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again Sarah

Lindsay

JolieH

The responsabilities of gardening take away from the joy, but isn't it true. Great poem, I really enjoyed this.

mountainpepper

G'day JolieH...
Thank you for reading and commenting JolieH...yes, there is nothing worse than gloating over a tomato bush at night and finding it eaten in the morning...but in the end if all goes well nothing tastes better than a bounty you have produced yourself.

Lindsay