The Diligent Gardener

The green comes from beneath brown leaves
As my neighbor rakes his yard
His satisfaction all over his face
Because he takes pride in his lawn
And he stops a moment to wipe away sweat
From his brow and look up at the blue sky
Then goes back to his raking, stroke after stroke,
Ever the diligent gardener minding his duty,
And I think one of these days I should do likewise
To tidy my yard though I haven’t the energy
To be so persistent and exacting as my neighbor.