By: Rowan Miles
when the air turns crisp and the light grows yellow,
i bring out my shovel and clear the frost from the dirt.
as i work, i picture what i will be able to bring you as offering –
sweet ripe tomatoes
crunchy neon carrots
garden peas eager to be shelled and boiled.
an overflowing bounty with each small burial
each memory of the warmth of your smile.
months later, in the pale morning light
i will put my hands in the dirt and bury seeds once again.
it will be too late in the season for them to get very big
but i will feel almost frantic with the need to nurture something new.
for now, i walk back and forth.
i sit in the sun.
i watch the thirsty soil soak up the water
and i think of nothing but growth
About “horn of plenty”
This written piece was a winning submission (first place) for the 2022 Academic Skills Writing Contest. The 2022 theme was “potential.”
About the Academic Skills Writing Contest
The Academic Skills Writing Contest takes place in the winter term, usually between January and March.