mildew coated leaves lay atop the cool ground
torn asunder and left to rot
no longer the object of attention
or affection
its fruit, long since eaten
and shat out
barely a memory –
disorganized vines hold but a few yellowish tomatoes
not above the ground, no… but by the thinnest of stems
browning in the autumn air
lackluster weeding becomes the norm
as storm season approaches ….
what is more lonely and despondent
than a garden 3 weeks after harvest –