Boston ivy covers the front of the house.
\nIn autumn, now, its berries feed every
\nsmall creature that lives in or near our yard
\nand the ochres and reds of its leaves feed
\nthe human eyes and soul of our neighbourhood.<\/p>\n
About now, as leaves are teaching snowflake
\nchildren about gravity and flurry dancing,
\nI have to deal with more practical items
\nlike trimming giving our house a trim
\nbefore the uppper windows and eaves
\nstart complaining and asking for a bowl
\nand some shears, or begging for alms
\non the heavily travelled street.<\/p>\n
As I age, my once fearless disposition
\nhas caused my wife to request with slight
\ninsistance and no uncertainty that either
\nI get a better ladder than old swingy
\nor hire somebody— a professional shamer,
\nI’d estimate — to do my job for me.<\/p>\n
So, went shopping for a better ladder.
\nWe kicked the tires of a few aluminum
\nextensions and fibreglass types, around town;
\nBut she suggested, correctly, that Simon,
\nour son-in-law, knew a great deal about
\nsuch things; so I phoned him, and he did
\nknow and tell me about a ladder he uses
\na ladder that has adjustable feet for
\nuneven ground \u2014 makes sense to me
\neven though our yard was leveled by
\na crack team of landscapers in 1938.
\nOf course, we could use it at the cottage,
\nwhere the land should have contour lines
\n(sort of like isobars in the weather forcast,
\nbut dealing with elevation, not pressure,
\nsince there is no pressure at a summer cottage).<\/p>\n
There is nothing left to do but dream that,
\nlike Robert Frost’s apple picker,
\nthere will come a day when I have
\ntrimmed my hirsuit house,
\ndescended my even footed ladder,
\nput it away, and settled in for a
\nlong winter’s nap.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Boston ivy covers the front of the house. In autumn, now, its berries feed every small creature that lives in or near our yard and the ochres and reds of its leaves feed the human eyes and soul of our … Continue reading