By Doug Sylver
Seattle, Washington, USA
Preparing it for sleep
with maple leaves in various stages of decay
a foot thick between soil so cold
and warming burlap bag blankets
with names of coffee companies
from around the world
Cafe Viejo from El Salvador
Cafe Verde from Ecuador
Cafe Nuyorican from Puerto Rico
It was a tough year to be a tomato
cold wet spring
hot dry summer
records falling everywhere
nature falling everywhere
raspberries tinged with wildfire smoke
gardening gloves tinged with wildfire smoke
my eyes tinged with wildfire smoke
But there were others
successes
potatoes hiding underground
happy to be safe down there
and squash of every shape and color
asking, like beaming children,
are you proud of me?
and the soil, the earth itself
so permanent and
so ever-changing
ignoring us
with all our good intentions
and our constant need to fix
everyone and everything
and like us,
these maple leaves
of every shape and color
in various stages of decay
laughing at us
on our way there
laughing with me
on my way there
underneath a warming blanket
preparing myself
as well
for sleep.