we took the whole day,
(a weekend)
to uproot the trees
in the front yard
and move them out back;
1 grandiflora rose bush,
18 garden tulip bulbs
in 2 even rows,
3 dead satin robes
in 3 clay pots…
we pressed our ears
to the ground,
to listen for worms
and oil;
walked on tip-toes,
so as not to
offend the grass
– much work for a bed
we couldn’t sleep in;
to feed the deer,
come morning;
each little girl in
the neighborhood
to scamper across
our lawn,
with a fist full
of perennials for mom –
just like last year.