also the wheelbarrow
and a garden rake;
i loaded bark mulch in full sun thinking of you
sitting on a cabin porch
i loaded bark mulch in full sun thinking of you
sitting on a cabin porch
overlooking a secluded lake
one could only reach with a slow drive over a rutted road
deep into the back woods of Maine.
one could only reach with a slow drive over a rutted road
deep into the back woods of Maine.
it proved to be a long drive for a quiet time with a special book,
but you had nothing to lose
and everything to gain.
i cleaned nesting houses for the wood ducks and chickadees,
found a fallen feather from the red-tail hawk by the slow-moving creek;
it repeatedly circled low overhead with broad hunter's wings.
the field mice sensed the danger and seemed too afraid to peek.
you asked me about Vincent van Gogh and i mentioned Theo,
as you drove away packed with gear and a GPS device
plugged into an outlet like it had been the previous summer.
you had the driver's window open for a kiss and i gave one to you twice
and i thought about that when i cut the dead evergreen branches,
scattered the mulch and the dried leaves over dry, bare ground.
there was so much work to do to prepare for a healthy garden!
you would soon hear the wild loons make their most enchanting sound.
i sat alone at my evening table while you made a distant vegetable soup
with zucchini and tomatoes and yellow corn and kale.
i read your most recent letter and would happily accept your offer,
but also knew i didn't know how to blue water sail.
i took a look at the online guides about being a Captain and a mate
and made mental notes about the purpose of each special knot
and how wind could be harnessed to propel our boat when it was in perfect trim.
i wrote you a reply in which i simply said "Yes, why not?"
and thought that together we'd get to read about Vincent and his days in Paris,
which were spent largely with his brother in a tidy apartment along a busy side street:
like he, i worked many days and weeks alone and when asked
would always or usually say i wanted my art to feel more wholesome and complete.
while i waited for you.
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