sun and leaf

the first tomatoes!

the sun climbs higher and higher in the sky

and the forest pulls out all stops

to spread green below it 

in worship of the solar power

that drives all leaves,

in the garden, two weeks before Summer Solstice,

I add water to help the leaves double and redouble themselves

to make their own versions of hay while the sun shines:

buttercrunch lettuce still graces us and resists bolting,

potatoes are near fullness in the ground,

blue and black berries approach their color and sugar,

sugar snap peas are crisp and sweet,

the kiwi fruit are small and swelling on the vine,

squash and cucumber, okra and bean, race to be ready,

and the first cherry tomatoes, both red and yellow, just now ripen,

while grape and chestnut are in flower,

pumpkin race to be ready to flower,

while all our garden, vines, and trees matter to us,

the tomato is the real queen, started by seed inside in mid-winter,

and now ready to celebrate summer with unmatched flavor.

by Henry H. Walker

June 8, ‘15