School Gardening

 School Gardening

And now children come
Blots of color all moving
They cannot stand still 
They run in circles and jump
Children aren’t contained
Except for shy ones who wait
To be given permission

Teachers here also
They herd and call for order
Shepherding to sit
On old embedded tree stumps
Forming a circle
Where all and every can see
And then teachers can explain

We are here to work
Children watch one another
Not expected news
Looking around and then back
Teachers are smiling
One has a large paper pad
Held upright so she can point

She shows them carrots
And peas and lettuce and beans
The children look blank
She says they’re going to plant seeds
That the seeds will grow
That the children will tend them
And they can eat what they grow

Oh yes she says yes
And pulls from her deep pockets
Many seed packets
Shares them among the children
Who shake the packets
Stare at the colored pictures
And then ohhh and ahhh and laugh

A teacher tells them
We have to dig in the dirt
There is more laughter
When he says let’s get some tools 
Untidy parade
Heading to the shed in back
Teachers leading them

Out come spades and forks
Out come wheelbarrows as well
Out come the children
Carrying watering pots
The pots are purple
And red and green even blue
The children are solemn now

Teachers lead them back
To stand by small planting beds 
Edged by narrow boards
Earth pressed flat and undisturbed
A boy tries a spade
He jumps to set it firmly
His success excites others

Now a girl tries it
Another tries the pitchfork
Then two boys kneel down
Work at the dirt with their hands
Colorful children
Busy hopping and digging
The earth responds and opens

Now teachers call them
Help them knock dirt off the tools 
Show them water taps
Hand out the watering pots
Ask them for their help
Two or three to hold each pot
The teachers lug full pots

Back at the plant beds
Children help with watering
Turning the churned dirt
A wet dark chocolaty brown
And when they are through
Teachers tell them stamp your feet
Shake your clothes then go sit down

Two teachers pick up
Return the tools, close the shed
One tells the children
Thank you for all that good work
The children fidget
Blushing and kicking their heels
The teacher says wait, wait now

Pulls more seed packets
Brightly colored like the first
Different packets
Out of his  jacket pockets
And passes them out
And the children go oooh-ahhh
Because these are flower seeds

He asks for them back
Says they’ll be planting these too
Every week they’ll come
To tend the growing seedlings
Water and weed them
And before the school years ends
They’ll have become  gardeners

They’ll have helped seeds grow
They’ll have grown flowers and food 
Tell their folks to come
Help them garden on weekends
Before they know it
There’ll be flowers to take home
Baby carrots to crunch on

And every weekday
Middle March through early June
I see them come back
Families too on the weekends
Carrots a surprise
Rinsed off at the water taps
Then there's smiling and crunching

My own spring seasons
Include these garden parties
Springtime happiness
My pleasure is in watching
Families friends young and old
Even after end of school
Growing their flowers and food