When the clouds drop
low and ominous
reminding me of a
Gulf storm coming
after a pleasant fall day
digging a midst bulbs and sprouts
never saw that baby copperhead
small pit viper, it was
trying as I was
to make indentations
in that dark earth
masking thoroughly
the uneasiness of the raven’s nest
the troubles that dominate inside
lace ropes of frailty
wrapping the inner chamber
that storm due in
an uncertain flood plain
bayous cut deep
will swarm with gators, snakes
better to stumble upon the copperhead
and not the coral snake
red and yellow
kill a fellow
and even a brooding girl
with a petulant pout…
but I choose rather to think
of fall flowers
black-eyed Susan
rock rose
blood sage
and not lurking serpents
the curse of a malicious existence
so I leave that nightmarish daydream
not daring to delve
into the impending storm
A lot of foreboding here.. as well as some valuable lessons for this city girl!
Have I dissuaded you from gardening, Marissa? 🙂
I think it’s a bit late for that!
I like this one. Ominous and great tension. I can feel the edge of danger.
Thanks so much for reading. .There is that sense of foreboding….:)
The garden hides all sorts of “perils,” which makes me smile in spite of myself. Aren’t weeds scary enough? 🙂
The Gulf Storm title was a great deflector to the hidden truth within the poem, Lana.
When I have scary thoughts, I replace them with happy ones, like the bouquet of fall flowers you mentioned. Lovely and interesting writing, as always.
Those weeds are perils indeed 🙂 I was actually digging in my flower bed in Houston and almost scooped up a baby copperhead. It was in the spring, and not the fall during hurricane season, though. The following fall, a tropical storm came in and stalled over the city for what seemed like an eternity leading to massive flooding. Some 2-story houses were under water. There were several bad floods when I lived there. Thank you for the compliment.