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.