Done In

Done In
by Mary Ricketson

Weeds take over.
Grass grows
mid mint stalks,
zinnia and hollyhock.
Air breathes heavy
after sunshine
displaces the early mist.
Morning glory vines
declare ambush against
blueberries and okra.
Squash and beans are gone,
claimed by the dank
dog-days of late summer.
Potatoes are laid by.
Empty corn stalks,
slashed at the base,
cover the garden floor.
Tomatoes still thrive red
among the weeds,
vines bent by heavy fruit
in an untended space.
Out front
one violet gladiola
rises above the mess.

Author’s Comment: It was too hot this summer, and I complained too much. The typical end of season mess in my garden was worse than usual. At least there was a harvest, but the day I wrote this I was totally done in. The solo gladiola, standing straight in vibrant color inspired me to smile.

Bio: Mary Ricketson is a mental health counselor and an organic blueberry farmer. Her poems reflect her connections with a wealth of people and her close bond with the earth.
Her poetry has been published in Lights in the Mountains, Freeing Jonah IV, Freeing Jonah V, Echoes in the Mountains, and her chapbook, I Hear the River Call My Name, Finishing Line Press, 2007. She writes a monthly newspaper column, Woman to Woman, for The Cherokee Scout, Murphy NC. She is a member of North Carolina Writers Network.