Rescuing Sick Plants From the Nursery

The plants looked sickly

in spite of her tender nudges,

and she began to wonder

if they were holding grudges

She stood and wiped her head

with the cuff of her sleeve,

staring down at the turned soil,

hoping her efforts were not aggrieved.

The plants stooped, looking stunned,

as if they were confused,

not sure where they had landed,

as did she, while she perused

the front yard's many colors.

So what gave her the idea

to pull up the grass and weeds,

to plop down daisies and pirea?

She wanted brilliance popping,

she wanted sweet fragrance.

She wanted bees and butterflies

to linger here, become vagrants.

So there they stood together,

in her hand a beat up shovel,

the feeble plants at her feet,

in fretful little huddles.

Naida Lavon

July 13, 2021

10 minute write

Prompt: "She wiped her head with the back of her arm..."

From Songs Without Words, by Ann Packer