Mary, she rose from her knees
sandwiched between hot sun and soil,
struggling to breathe.
Wielding shears, she defined
the wild beauty of her climbing vines
but after hours of pruning unruly greenery
sometimes she ached,
as if she herself had been
painfully reduced
to a more presentable shape.
A scented breeze resurrected a memory,
her mother’s words--
rosemary thrives in the garden
of a strong-willed woman
How well she knew the bend of its leaves,
its many names--
ocean dew,
compass weed--
and the irrigation of sweat it would take
to raise its fragrant stems
from buried seed.
But contrary to popular myth,
watering her rosemary plants
while wearing comfortable pants
was never part of a plan
to gain advantage over her man.
healing rosemary gives
a woman of will the strength
Though they lacked the arresting
beauty and sharp defenses
of the velvet rose,
both woman and herb
were hardy enough to tolerate
droughts, waves of pests,
seasons without rest...
it takes a strong-willed woman
to tend the needs of her garden
From rugged toil, weeds, and oppressive air,
a cultivation created in posture of prayer,
Mary rose from her knees.
Gold trophy winner
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