Smorgasbord of Life

Sitting here among my blooms, knowing Autumn will come too soon
Overworked bees diligently strive to carry nectar to the hive.
The brazen Robin takes a stand against my rusty canine friend, other songbirds flitting and shy afraid to look him in the eye
The butterfly bush covers up, the prying eyes of passers- by, all the while tucked deep inside Meadow Browns, Red Admirals hide.
Delicate scent of parsley and thyme later flavour my cottage pie.
Behind the hedge, out of sight raised beds nourish vegetarian delights
Sweet peas, dwarf beans, curly kale, mixed leaves victim of the silvery trail

Crooked railing at my side keeps the livestock fenced outside
Snooping lambs often breach where other animals couldn’t reach
Ponies from Atlantic Ways happily switch to fertile leas
Short horns, Whiteheads, Belgian Blues silent in my distant view.

Creeping ivy hosts and hides a Noah’s Ark of recluse lives.
Wood lice, earwigs, ants and mice shy away from human life
Nettle and thistle slyly prick the hand that made their roots so rich
Drunken wasps and clever crows feast on fruit hanging prone
Rodents, rabbits, vermin all, take their share with greedy paws

The world at times seems meaningless and trite, but it sustains my right, to take delight in the smorgasbord of life

—

Poem by Joan Hardiman

Images Benjamin Combs, K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash.com