carefully pinching back plants
with a thick thumb brown around the edges.
Light in shadow, color in bright splashes
sunflowers, asters, and coarse grasses
zinnias, blushing beauty berries
and a funny flower you call frogbelly.
Each has a feel and a face
to know and to hold in your hands.
The day's breezes fade. This kingdom is calm
with tree toads starting their song,
swifts circling above,
white evening sky
scrubbed clean with salt like a skillet.
