Garden shed in winter

A poem.

|
Ann Hermes/Staff
A storage shed stands in the backyard of a home in Middleton, MA.

It was unfazed by cold. In fact, it seemed

content with disuse. The rolled packs of seeds,

the bamboo poles and tomato cages.

The oil-stained floor and clods of dried grass.

I hadn’t touched anything since the fall,

when it was all I could do to keep from

rakes and tarps, tulip bulbs with their pom-pom

roots. The fly inside gave sense to it all.

Now I was there, wondering why I’d come.

The shovels leaned where I’d left them.

The spade and hoe. The twine hung from its peg.

There, a pea-sized mummy rolled in a web.

Couldn’t I see there was nothing to do?

I took a last look and pulled the door to.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
QR Code to Garden shed in winter
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Poetry/2016/0210/Garden-shed-in-winter
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe