A Pacific Northwest native, I 
have been writing poetry over 40 years. My poems reflect a woman’s journey through the later years, with recurring themes of loss and renewal.
OLD GARDENER
She makes it all look easy,
banging through the screen door,
her arms full of flowers,
greeting me with smiles and hugs.
But she has journeyed round the circle
many times, harvested the bounty,
gazed across the barren fields,
cut away dead branches, waited
for seeds that never grew.
I see her now and realize
there is no such thing as easy,
just being wide awake.
and wide-alive, replanting
every time the soil is warm,
and learning, always learning,
what not to do this time.
To read Cathy Ross’s previous poem – click here
