Pine Mountain Cemetery XX
      The Stolen Yucca

My Yuccas up and died. How any plant
That tough could just quit is a wonder.
Higher up on my mountain there are more.

Wonder if it is a sin to dig up cemetery
Flowers? Probably, but I am going anyway.
I won’t take all, just a start, I promise.

These are not on daddy’s grave, but
They should be, he loved them so. Sudie’s
Kin planted them fifty year or more ago.

Kids will mostly do what their folks set down,
And I can still see my mother dig wildflowers to
Move close where she could have them ‘round.

A botanist would yell at us for sure. Nature
Plants where things grow best they say. Not
Cemetery flowers they crave the chance to dance.

Shading all those so long gone gets tiresome.
They might say give us laughter, kids running,
Beer cans thrown our way, ashes from a fire.

Ah, but I digress and make excuses for my theft.
Next time I’m up, I’ll return the trillium declining
In that stolen bed. Will that make amends, I hope?