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Don't Water Them
by
Grace Hughes Chappell


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Don't water them
when the sun is shining
the woman who sold them
said—they don't like it.
And so it is I learned a garden rests
but does not sleep:
the Munstead clan, and Honorine Jobert,
Zephirine, Caroline de Testout and company
lie about, scent- 
splashed in the moonlight
that has no heat; finally
they are alone
rid of bees and lovemaking
perhaps thirsty—

Perhaps
lavender swoons
along the hard stems, each flower shivering
when a bee enters, 
tiring.

Perhaps
a tree eyes the rose climbing, twining, 
shining amongst its leaves,
holding still,
so long;
perhaps the breeze is beckoned to
anthropomorphically.

Though we keep trying,
who
of us
has the words
for a nighttime garden?

Besides rest winding down
an August evening,
what other way 
for redistribution of wealth
but undercover 
vegetative
silence?

© 2010 by Grace Hughes Chappell.
Used with the author's permission.

 


 

 

Grace Hughes Chappell says, over the years, she’s been a mom, a daughter, and a sister, has taken care of ‘things’ (house repairs, car repairs, relationship repairs), worked as a private tutor, an English teacher, a travel agent, a receptionist, a telephone book delivery-person, a house cleaner, a reader to the visually impaired, a caterer, a snow-shoveler, and a writer. Her work is widely published and she is the author of ten mile creek almanac. For 50-some years, Grace and her husband, Don, have lived in northern California, in Mendocino County, and in San Francisco but, as of 2024, they have relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to be near family. Grace's advice for a good life is to be kind, enjoy your family and friends, don’t be a drag (laugh a lot, sing, dance, do anything
that involves music), read a lot, learn to cook a decent meal, watch sunsets and birds and dogs, find something to do for which you have some aptitude, then be willing to work hard at it!


Post New Comment:
Eiken:
Beautiful read, thank you{)))
Posted 08/10/2011 03:50 PM
Robertday:
So beautiful. "...who of us has the words for a nighttime garden?" Just beautiful...more please.
Posted 08/07/2011 05:07 PM
Sara Bruya:
Fantastic! The gardener in me is cooing...
Posted 08/07/2011 04:00 PM
KevinArnold:
Though we keep trying, who of us has the words for a nighttime garden? Great poem, gret stanza . . . the fifth line might go anywere, but it smartly comes back to the subject at hand.
Posted 08/07/2011 11:06 AM
sstenson:
Beautiful poem, Grace.
Posted 08/07/2011 10:18 AM


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