Yesterday I spent the morning

Yesterday I spent the morning dabbling in the garden
deadheading flowers tugging at the straggly grass
listening to the fluting butcherbird

and I thought of all the gardens I’d grown
how they’d become less bordered     more wild
each spring the red surprise of poppies
knotted roses flourishing bright suns
rocket taking off between pavers     and even
suffering the prickly mandalas of weeds

now I want to clear a space
make a zen garden
place rocks precisely
rake sand
sit quietly in the fall and rise of shadows


Annette Mullumby (Western Australia)