Gardening Poem by Herbert Nehrlich

Just below the blue horizon
all the earth is lush and green.
Digging, planting supervising
and busier we've never been.
The fisherman thought 'What a catch',
I'll lead you to the veggie patch.

We grow tomatoes, parsley, lettuce,
and sugar beets, zucchini, beans,
and never notice that she's met us,
we don't know her or what she means.
She's not the one to make this match,
I'll lead you to the veggie patch.

We rest on sorghum bales, my love.
The sun feels warm, your hair is curled,
she sees the drama from above:
Skeleton woman - underworld!
All bones, no flesh, that's all she hath,
come with me down the garden path!

You hold my hand, our elbows touch,
I drink the fragrance of your skin.
This spirit presence, it's too much
but well we know - this thing is kin.
She looks so scary, strange and wild,
come to my garden with me, child.

What does she want, do we not know?
Is there a reason for her presence?
Why has she come from down below
to visit us two little peasants?
While we don't know what all this means
I'll take you now to see my beans.

And, as we wander through the meadow,
we lose our fear and find our love.
And gone is now the deadly shadow,
the sun still warms us from above.
Our souls are happy to be free,
I'll take you to my apple tree.

Now, as we enter through the gate
the garden is in splendid bloom.
A mistletoe ask us to wait,
we've left behind all gloom and doom.
I look now deep into your eyes
and take you in to paradise.