Saturday, May 1, 2010

His Wife by Andrew Hudgins - Perfect Garden Poem!

Apple Mint, April 2010


Cherry Tomatoes, 2009

Rose Geranium's Flower, April 2010


His Wife
by Andrew Hudgins

My wife is not afraid of dirt.
She spends each morning gardening,
stooped over, watering, pulling weeds,

removing insects from her plants
and pinching them until they burst.
She won't grow marigolds or hollyhocks,
just onions, eggplants, peppers, peas –
things we can eat. And while she sweats
I'm working on my poetry and flute.
Then growing tired of all that art,
I've strolled out to the garden plot
and seen her pull a tomato from the vine
and bite into the unwashed fruit
like a soft, hot apple in her hand.
The juice streams down her dirty chin
and tiny seeds stick to her lips.
Her eye is clear, her body full of light,
and when, at night, I hold her close,
she smells of mint and lemon balm.

From:  American Rendering: New and Selected Poems

12 comments:

Rosaria Williams said...

Love it! "...her body full of light,...(smelling of) mint and lemon balm." Lovely.

Marion said...

Lakeviewer, isn't it great? It really resonated with me today as I was sweating and dirty from sitting in the garden, babying a few Basil plants. I always say there's a poem for everything. Blessings!

Cynthia said...

Wonderful, the love of earth and
art. Reminds me of a family friend
Mrs. Thompson, who lives in her
vegetable garden and her appreciative husband who watches
her from the back window during
breaks from his writing.

Woman in a Window said...

mmmmm~

what else is there to say?

xo
erin

Grete said...

Marion -

And now I MUST go out, into the garden, leave this computer, get my hands dirty.....

I adore your choice of poems, and have just received your earlier recommendation "Poetry Daily - 366 Poems From the World's Most Popular Poetry Website" from Amazon.

As for the Edna St. Vincent Millay poems you posted earlier. I think I’ll bring my computer outside, and read.....(instead of getting those fingernails covered in earth :-))

Grete

Susan Anderson said...

I like this.

=)

Kelly said...

Are you sure Ray didn't write this?! Definitely a fitting poem for you.

Tell me again your mixture for keeping the bugs off your tomato plants.

Kelly said...

Marion.... I left you an award at my blog.
: )

GYPSYWOMAN said...

fabulous lady!!! and we must never never be afraid of the dirt!!! love this one, marion!!!

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Hi Marion, I saw your blog mentioned on Kelly's site and thought I'd stop by to say hello. A lovely blog, I really enjoyed some of the poetry - my favourite had to be 'Before The World Intruded'. Anyway nice to have met you, best wishes, PW.

ds said...

Wonderful! I will think of it when planting mint and lemon balm (next week, maybe). Thanks!

Wine and Words said...

He sees her well, this husband...allows her passion which is her light. It is simple, yet so touching, to love her dirty...kiss her seeded mouth.

Love you
Annie