Solstice

In the plot where
by now there should have been
kabocha squash and cucumber,
only the overthrow of broadleaf

plantain. Bittercress. Trifoliate
patches of lespedeza. Moon

low-slung in the sky, an empty
cloth carrier: I paused between the edge
of the yard and the back door, thumbnailed
with light. I considered that perhaps

there are some things I will never
be allowed to nurture to the finish.