I transplanted chrysanthemums today.
Gerbera. Gladiolus.
Potted, they sit in our sunroom,
waiting while we decide
where to plant them for good.
Outdoors, along the stone wall,
I pulled up ropes of grapeleaf
clinging to the ivy, gripping
a nearby redbud, and tossed
those tentacles to a waste can.
It’s a little like playing God,
I think, ordaining which plants
shall live and which shall die.
If I’m lucky, this lesson
will keep me humble.