As you peruse the offerings of seed companies, ponder a future garden and revel in the winter quiet, enjoy this poem by Marilyn McIntyre. She answers the question, “What you get from a garden.”

Visible gratitude.
Small surprises.
Metaphors.
Antidotes for too much thought.
A place to do some thinking.
A place to slash and burn and feel good about it.
A dozen shades of green.
Solveable problems.
More than you put in.
Permission to be muddy.
A model of God’s efficiency
And extravagance.
A chance to see the whole wheel turn.
A feast of color. 
Encounters with interesting creatures.
Patience.
A place to “practice resurrection.”
Zucchini for the whole neighborhood.
A place to practice military strategy on small predators.
A chance to start over.

Marilyn McEntyre

You may enjoy her book, Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies. See source. Poem used by permission of Marilyn McEntyre

Source: marilynmcentyre.com

This was first posted February 17, 2011 when my blog was very new and I had many fewer readers. Perhaps it deserves an annual rehearsal.