leave a garden when you go
the tiny plot of earth
barren slate
choked with weeds
strangled with stones
is all yours
as long as the rent’s on time
transform it into eden
lush and green
with your sweat and toil
new life unfolds and unfurls
shoots stretch towards the sky
it’s yours to dream about
as long as the rent’s on time
though you claim the tired soil
for a few fleeting seasons
it’s better to leave a garden
to wither, wilt, or grow wild
it’s better to leave
part of yourself in the dust
along with a few shrubs of thyme
all your work for nothing?
never!
nothing is forever
but to leave a garden when you go
is an act truly sublime
*
I create a garden every time I move to a new rental house. It’s hard work and I seldom stay long enough to truly reap the rewards of my efforts. But planting and tending a new garden is a rewarding and special process in itself. Even though I know there’s a good chance the next renters will leave the garden to die or grow wild, I believe it’s better to leave a garden when you go.
For more gardening inspiration, have a look at When the Gardening-Bug Bites. Lefras has some great tips for beginnings, renters, and those gardening on a budget.
You can read more poems here! Or follow me on Instagram for more books, plants, and stories.
Happy reading,
Chantelle
Wild Library 