(gardens)

I have two gardens,
the one I see and
the one outside my
house.The first has
a stand of pik
hollyhocks against
the north wall.
A row of French lavendar
in bloom.
Jasmine beneath the window
where I work.
Mexican sage.
A potato bush.
Cosmos.
Delphinium
and digitalis.
A circle of bearded
iris in bloom,
interrupted
(like a mother
by her child)
by _____daffodils.

I pass my other
garden returning
from a walk.
And stoop to pull
a few of the
weeds, that
I pile up by the street
so the dirt can
dry from the roots.
Reminding myself
which clumps
I’ve planted and
which came against
my intent.

I could tell, of course,
by who’s thriving
and in bloom.
The energetic sour
grass lording
it over my
society garlic,
and the cuttings
from a woman down
the road, yellow plum3es
in every garden
but mine. The yarrow and
lavendar, colorless
against the ground.

4/16/99