Going Out to the Garden
Going out to the garden
this morning
to plant seeds
for my winter greens
—the strong, fiery mustard
& the milder
broadleaf turnip—
I saw a gecko
who
like the rest of us
has been
reeling
from the heat.
Geckos like heat
I know this
but the heat
these last few days
has been excessive
for us
& for them.
A spray of water
from the hose
touched its skin:
I thought it would
run away.
There are crevices
aplenty
to hide in:
the garden wall
is made of stones.
But no
not only
did the gecko
not run away
it appeared
to raise
its eyes
& head
looking for more.
I gave it.
Squirt after
squirt
of cooling
spray
from the green
garden hose.
Is it the end
of the world?
It seemed to ask.
This bliss,
is it Paradise?
I bathed it
until we were both
washed clean
of the troubles
of this world
at least for this moment:
this moment of pleasure
of gecko
joy
as I with so much happiness
played Goddess
to Gecko.
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