The Garden
The kale’s
puckered sleeve,
the pepper’s
hollow bell,
the lacquered onion.
Beets, borage, tomatoes.
Green beans.
I came in and I put everything
on the counter: chives, parsley, dill,
the squash like a pale moon,
peas in their silky shoes, the dazzling
rain-drenched corn.
-Mary Oliver, “New and Selected Poems”
New and Selected Poems is one of my favorite poetry books and of course, I love Mary Oliver’s work. “Puckered sleeve”, “like a pale moon” and “in their silky shoes” are all underlined in the book.
Was there a word or phrase you particularly liked?
I enjoyed this poem so much. The little garden our neighbor planted for us was ruined by the large amount of rain we have received this growing season. The poem put a smile on my face as I remembered our past gardens and the joy I felt bringing in their bounty. Loved her descriptions!
Me too Dee Dee! Growing up, my dad had an organic garden. I couldn't help but think back on those days as I read the poem.
Sorry about your garden this year. We have received our fair share of rain this year, haven't we? I think the mountains have gotten even more than our area.
Thanks for sharing! Love you…
"Kale's puckered sleeve' and "peas in their silky shoes" Great!
Aren't they great, Marcia? 🙂 Love it!
Thanks so much for sharing…
Beautiful…a masterpiece of words…