Country Living
July 14 2010


I learned that trembling aspen, and poplar, are the same.
That raspberries spread like weeds,
and the birds will eat them
first chance they get.
That crab-apples attract bears,
and can’t be left.
That dandelions will survive an atomic attack,
like cockroaches, outlast us.
And that the weather report is accurate
if you wait long enough.

That the well is cantankerous,
electricity erratic,
and the black flies
last until fall.

That the snowplough
doesn’t always get this far.
That in spring
the potholes swallow small cars whole,
and the washboard, in August
will shake them apart.

That the deer will eat my hostas,
the ice will take the dock out,
and the handyman will cost us
even more.

That country living
is not for the faint of heart.
But the view is truly gorgeous,
and the silence, worth a fortune.
And all the things I thought important
once
I hardly notice, anymore.