Heirloom
It’s a lovely business this patch of earth
to grow tomatoes in, one proofed for light,
the sun rises above my home and hearth,
all afternoon the angled window’s bright.
I’ve chosen to spend these remaining days
of spring and all through summer’s blast furnace
watering, amending this vein of clay,
picking off hornworms, treating for aphids.
Sunday morning church bells call faithful in,
find me gloved and pruning, weeding, searching
clear sky for literate clouds inked with rain,
scattering food, tying yearning limbs
to the skeleton of a tomato cage,
tossing shovels of dirt on winter’s grave.
24 thoughts on "Heirloom"
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OK so truth , the only words that came out of my mouth with an exhale that I didn’t realize I had was ” Oh Jesus ”
Lol….big fan! and a temporaly fitting, three sentence,
perfectly turned sonnet to start the month.
Happy June Bill , thank you.
love the title, the Shakespearean allusion (“this patch of earth”), “amending,” the pastoral church bells, “literate clouds inked with rain,” “yearning limbs,” and the last line
That last line is what gets me: ” tossing shovels of dirt on winters grave.” Such a statement! I feel like I’m in the garden with you, lovingly tending to the vines. Great poem to start the month with.
You are one of my favorite poets. Had to say it somewhere.
Gorgeous craft here, Bill. Great quiet confidence in these chiseled lines. Bravo.
I also find God woven into the stalks of tomato plants. Fantastic poem!
Perfect details and specificity here come together masterfully. Love “literate clouds inked with rain,” very much
Really loved reading this one, felt like I was right there in the garden with you
“Amending this vein of clay” as a kind of devotional practice is a lovely start to June! Thank you!
calling in the faithful is so good – room for all making amends
I love “literate clouds inked with rain”!
Oh, man- the word choices, the message, the form… Chef’s kiss!
Such beautiful imagery of your chapel!
Bill, it is certainly a blessing to read your work again! Last line seals the wow.
Gorgeous imagery! I especially loved “literate clouds inked with rain!” All topped off with a perfect title, per usual.
clear sky for literate clouds inked with rain – yes Michele!
I admire gardeners. My wife gardens. I’m too lazy or impatient. This is a very well-written English Sonnet. Have you considered breaking it into three quatrains and a couplet to highlight the form?
So many gorgeous lines in this poem!
searching
clear sky for literate clouds inked with rain,
Just beautiful, Bill.
Read this three times. The lines that everyone has mentioned above… Wow. Just wow. Such creative selection of analogies and noticing’s. Connecting the works of one season to the dead of the following/previous ones.
Love it!
This is beautiful! Makes me want to go stick my hands into the soil.
Hi Bill, wonderful to meet you thru this poem. Astounding talent. I was especially breathless from …weeding… on to the pronounced ending.
tossing shovels of dirt on winter’s grave. A lovely image.
yes! to:
Sunday morning church bells call faithful in,
find me gloved and pruning, weeding,
and
literate clouds inked with rain,