EVERY EVENING WHEN MY DAD CAME HOME
HE'D GO TO THE GARDEN - DIG WITH A HOE,
CLEANING ALL THE WEEDS OUT
SO THE VEGETABLES COULD GROW.

MAMA BELIEVED IN A BIG GARDEN
THEY HAD ABOUT A HALF ACRE PLOT,
THEY PLANTED ALMOST EVERY KIND OF SEED
WE LIKED FRESH HOME-GROWN VEGGIES A LOT.

THE GARDEN WAS TURNED BY MULE AND PLOW
SOON AS IT CAME A WARM SPRING DAY,
THE ROWS WERE LAID OFF USING A STRING
THE CROPS WERE PLANTED GOING A CERTAIN WAY.

EVERYTHING HAD A CERTAIN SPOT
PACKETS OF BEET SEEDS TO SOW,
HALF-RUNNERS CLIMBED UP THE CORN STALKS
BUNCH BEANS LINED UP IN A ROW.

WE ALWAYS WENT BARE-FOOT
THE LOOSE DIRT WENT BETWEEN OUR TOES,
BUT WE KNEW WHERE WE BETTER NOT STEP
ON TINY PLANTS COMING UP IN STRAIGHT ROWS.

ON A BRIGHT SUNNY MORNING
CLOUDS FLOATING OVER - SKY EXTRA BLUE,
PICKING THOSE YOUNG TENDER CUCUMBERS
HUNTING THEM WAS MY FAVORITE JOB TO DO.

BEET PICKLES WITH MUSTARD GREENS
BOILED EGGS AND A SKILLET OF CORNBREAD,
THAT IS CERTAINLY MY FAVORITE MEAL
THIS STATEMENT I HAVE SO OFTEN SAID.

THERE WAS SWEET CORN, PEAS AND GREEN BEANS
CUCUMBERS, ONIONS AND POTATOES,
OKRA, PEPPERS, RADISHES AND SQUASH
PLENTY OF TURNIPS, CABBAGE AND TOMATOES.

TAKING POTATO BUGS OFF THE LEAVES
THAT WAS OUR JOB TO DO,
PUTTING THOSE "BAD GUYS" INTO A RUSTY CAN
I WOULDN'T WANT TO SWIM THERE - WOULD YOU ?

AS WE PLACED THEM INTO THAT RUSTY CAN
I BET THEY WONDERED "WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME ?"
BUT THOSE BUGS DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE
IT WAS KEROSENE - WE LAUGHED WITH GLEE !

THE ROWS WERE LONG - IT DID TAKE A WHILE
WE HAD TO WALK FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER,
BY THE TIME WE HAD FINISHED INSPECTING EACH PLANT
DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR THOSE BUGS TO SMOTHER.

WE'D START TO DIG THE POTATO PATCH
THE SUN WARMING THAT HARD GROUND,
DRY DUSTY HOT DAYS DURING JULY
THEM TATERS JUST ROLLED OUT - FAT AND ROUND.

BREAKING A BUSHEL OR MORE OF BEANS
IS REALLY A BACK BREAKING JOB,
BUT OH, THEY TASTED SO GOOD
WHEN EATEN WITH FRESH CORN-ON-THE-COB !

ALL SUMMER LONG WE ATE FROM THE GARDEN
GREEN BEANS COOKED WITH NEW POTATOES,
A PLATE FILLED WITH SLICED CUCUMBER WEDGES
BUTTERED CORN AND RED RIPE TOMATOES.

MAMA CANNED EVERY JAR FULL
NOTHING EVER WENT TO WASTE,
PLENTY OF JELLIES, JAMS AND PRESERVES
LOTS OF JUICE, KETCHUP, AND TOMATO PASTE.

IT TOOK A LOT OF SWEAT AND HARD WORK
TO MAKE THAT GARDEN GROW,
I CAN STILL SEE MY DADDY DIGGING
ALMOST BE DARK - WITH HIS OLD RELIABLE HOE.

I'M SURE THAT OLD HOE IS RESTING NOW
MAMA AND DADDY HAVE BEEN GONE MANY A YEAR,
THESE ARE SOME CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
THAT ARE TREASURES I VALUE AND HOLD SO VERY DEAR.

Written......July 28, 2008

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