By Maria Hahn · Saturday June 21, 2025
On the longest day, I woke with sun,
To tend the soil, my work begun.
A pitchfork, mounds, ten seeds to sow,
With sweat that made the garden glow.
Each sprout, a wish. A leaf. A spell.
A summer rite, a green rebel.
But lo! from coop came feathered Scream,
A hen possessed by Solstice dream.
She dashed, she pecked—a blur, a theft—
And Pineapple Express was left
Inside her gullet, bold and brash—
The weed devoured in one swift flash.
I cursed. I laughed. I shook my head,
While chickens danced and scratched and fed.
The sun stood still, the earth leaned close—
The gods had claimed their garden dose.
And so this year, our gift was made
With claws and clucks and mounds we laid.
Let blessings bloom from fertile ground,
Where weed and wild hens abound.