flowering garden
he’s become too old
to put in three tomato plants
or maintain the rose bushes
unable to get on his hands
& knees and shove the annuals
into the ground in mid-may
the garden the size of a small
badminton court
though the colors
perennially extraordinaire
the tomatoes
the only fruit to be picked
the flower blooms coming
& going from summer till fall
seemingly on their own
there is no succession plan
when it comes to the garden
yet the old man still orchestrates
what should go where
those of us who know him best
traveling from hundreds of miles away
making sure it continues
to suit his eye
july two thousand twenty-four
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved
jdubqca 
it’s wonderful that you help to keep this going for him
gets harder every year but yeah thanks