Saturday, September 14, 2013

Ann's Garden

Sunday. September 8, 2013.
Grandparents Day. I am
Standing in Ann's garden.
Ann's Garden Paradise.
I am at the Mattoon Street Fair.
There are many vendors here.
Cedar Swamp Pottery.
A Custom Grater.
It's Sew Easy.
Apron Affair.
To name A few. There
Are many people and dogs, too.
Susan and Freddy, our dog
Wait for me. Ann moved
Away with Alberto
A few years ago.
For a time they shared
The art-filled brownstone and
The garden paradise. A place
She would never recognize.
Here memory will keep
The garden a paradise.
And mine? It is more
Hell than Heaven. Paradise
Lost. Once a garden where
You do yoga, pray, eat, love.
Thankful for grace and beauty.
This is where we last
Ate and laughed with Ann
One summer evening. A table
Set for friends, Candles
Burning in a candelabra.
And now I stand
Here in a space of weeds.
The night of the last
Party there were many
Bottles of wine and we
Climbed a narrow, circular
Staircase up to a neighbor's
Roof and I saw a cat
In a window and I
Photographed it and later
We drank more wine
And talked late into
The night. At the fair
Spools of Fun!
Crafty Doll and Pillow
Beds by Helen.
Only Ann and Alberto
And her garden art not
There. Susan, Freddy, and I
Return home. I make
Fresh tomato sauce with
Tomatoes from my garden.
And meatballs for dinner.
Susan's mom loves pasta
Sauce and meatballs and
She comes over every Sunday
For dinner and she always asks
"Have you heard
From Ann and Alberto?"

1 comment: