He spent half the day in the yard
Pruning and plucking the dead
Water and fertilizer and strong hands
Life sprung from all that he touched.
He wiped the light sweat from his brow,
The bandana he kept on his forehead,
And stepped back to admire his lands
Life and color bounced across the ground.
Petunias and irises and tiger lilies;
Cabbages so green, tomatoes so red;
Everything lined neatly in bands;
All the life he had created.
Once he was through, he came back inside.
Took a shower and crawled beside me in bed,
Fingers on my back, watched as it expands
And wondered why he couldn't bring me back to life.