Friday, June 18, 2010

The gardening wife

 Thoughts from Andrew Hudgins poem
titled 
HIS WIFE

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...


... 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.


... and when, at night, I hold her close,
she smells of mint and lemon balm. 

"His Wife" by Andrew Hudgins 

13 comments:

Tracy said...

That is sweet. I've never heard it before. I love gardening - just not in Arizona this time of year. :-)

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

mmm...mint and lemon balm tea! A lovely poem to match a lovely garden. I love your yard art!

Stella said...

A sweet and wonderful poem! The accompanying art is very lovely too.

Cheers and hugs,

Jo

Dog Trot Farm said...

What a lovely poem to accompany your yard art. The flower photos, just beautiful.

Banjo52 said...

Nice poem. I've only read Hudgins here and there in magazines, but this makes me want to see more.

Sometimes I wonder what percentage of men are attracted (as Hudgins and I are) to "real" women like Hudgins' wife--gardeners, athletes, brainiacs, musicians, construction workers--women who DO something, compared to those who strut through the malls or play sassy airheads on TV, hoping someone will look at them (and obey?).

Too controversial? Delete if you need to. Maybe I'll raise the issue at my place.

What's the gorgeous purple flower?

Brenda's Arizona said...

Banjo, it is a chinese lilac bush (or is that shrub?). It is deciduous, gets pretty bushy and tall. Does well along our back wall... nice and shady there.

I am looking forward to your thoughts on 'real' women vs. plastic women!

Barb said...

Your garden ornaments make great illustrations for the poem.

How Sam Sees It said...

There is a man who loves his wife very much...

Sam

Anonymous said...

Are those your objet d'art? They're sweet, but my dogs would make short work of them.

Brenda's Arizona said...

Yes, they are our garden art! Funny, our dogs would rather eat the plants. sigh... Rosemary smells much better before the dogs process it.

Anonymous said...

If only Albert ate rosemary. He's eating my goat scat mulch. Does not improve his breath.

Gus, Louie and Callie said...

What a great poem.. Hope you are having a Happy Pappy's Day...


Big Sloppy Kisses
Gus, Louie and Callie

Thérèse said...

Nice illustration for a great poem! I wish we could have bitten in the tomatoes before our dog this year!!!