Jalapenos in the Garden

Too say I am a lazy gardener is an understatement:  I plant plants, not seeds; I water daily; and I weed occasionally--very occasionally.  But despite my lack of effort, the garden still produces miniature bounties.  It seems that after the first vegetable comes into being, a waterfall of veggies follow.  So last week, the first zucchini did not just pop into existence, it exploded, growing from a peachy yellow flower to the size of a small child's arm in the one week I was camping.  It was joined by two yellow peppers and several green tomatoes just crying out for the sun to tan their skin red.

Sometimes, I even forget what I've planted. These treats, these surprise vegetables, are what I enjoy the most--tiny treasures offered by the garden as a "thank you" for the very little I do to foster its growth.  I once heard a quote, I believe it's from The Talmud, that stated that every blade of grass has a tiny angel above it whispering "grow, grow, grow."  I believe my plants also have these angels, because they couldn't do it with just me.  Thank you, God, for allowing me the gift of plants growing in my backyard, plants that offer me delicious nutrition simply for giving them a place to grow.

Today's surprise was two jalapenos hiding under an overhanging tomato plant.  My brain instantly had them roasting on the grill stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon.  Yum.  It also reminded me of this poem I wrote a few years back after another visit to the garden.  It's based on a poem by one of my favorite poets, William Carlos Williams, who wrote "This is Just to Say." That poem, I believe is one of the most romantic poems of all time.  This poem is based on his poem "so much depends" about a red wheelbarrow sitting in the rain.

My Poem for William Carlos Williams

so much depends

upon a sharp

knife,

clean dishes,

fresh tomatoes

picked from the garden

last night.

Obviously, I've been repressing my need to write, as I've popped out three entries in the last few days, and I have quite a few topics spinning around in my head.  My handwritten journal may feel neglected, but the ease of typing my thoughts is over-riding my pen.  In fact, I have a blog about that coming up soon.