In the Garden in May

by g emil reutter

It is a dreary day in May as rain has fallen for days but today

is a day to visit the garden under cloudy skies that do not drip.

Squirrels scamper up the face of the dogwood that drops pink

blossoms onto the damp lawn. Around the old stump of mimosa

peonies sprout from the soil. Stalks of Tiger Lilies, Day Lilies fill

the bed as velvet blue flowers of Irises bend and bow. Neat pinks

and reds of Azalea are joined by dazzling purple of Rhododendron.

Thick leaves of Black Eyed Susan lift off mulch, grand basal leaves

of Hosta unfold and within prepare the racemes of white and violet.

Full blossoms of red peak out through thick leaves of Camellia as

roses bloom along the fence line where just below blue bells sway

silently in breeze. . Just past the green of Forsythia in pots along

the steps, Snap Dragons, Geraniums bloom in reds, pinks, whites

and yellows.  Within the colors of this beautiful display those rascally

squirrels dig in soil for bulbs of tulips and hyacinth, robins pull worms

from the soaked lawn never noticing the hawk gliding, hunting from

above.