The Ides of July

It was autumn when 
summer faded into spring
we missed a hard winter
the ground was still hard
good to trudge more topsoil to the beds
past early blueberries about to flower
down to the raspberry canes
and big raised beds for cucumbers 
that need manure
then parsnips for the winter roasts
it used to be April now it’s March
when the first daffodils drooped
their beauty spent
mountain beavers moved their burrow
to another neighbor’s land
and now the year has turned again
we can see the end of summer

Richard M Russell © Dick Russell
            July 15, 2022