Weather Words

The garden waited to be covered,
the outside faucets shut off
when I came home on an evening
with weather words speaking of frost.
A man stooped with the day’s work
shakes hands with easy decisions.
In the warm basement I shut off
the valves to the outside faucets
and told the garden not to worry.
In the morning the geranium leaves
stiff as metal reminded me of
last night’s excuse, nagged at my
conscience when they drooped in the
midday sun. Oh, I will have other gardens
but I learned again what I already knew
about the sudden attack by frost
and the mortal blow that can be
struck by any season.