The Gardener Of The Earth Poem by Tor Magnor Solvang

Deep beneath the garden bed,
In a tiny shell, a life is fed.
A lemon-shaped cocoon of gold,
Protects the eggs from damp and cold.

Out comes a worm, so small and pale,
A tiny, thin, and wiggly trail.
With no eyes to see or teeth to bite,
It burrows through the soil at night.

It eats the leaves and turns the ground,
Until a pinkish hue is found.
A growing child with segments long,
Getting steady, big, and strong.

Then comes a band, a swollen ring,
A sign that it is a grown-up thing.
It carries both the male and dame,
Though two must meet to play the game.

Beneath the moon or after rain,
They meet to start the path again.
A mucus band slips off the head,
Leaving a cocoon within the bed.

A simple creature, small and shy,
Working while the world goes by.
It turns the earth, it makes it grow,
The secret friend we need below.