Gardeners know they must start planting long before
The danger of the last frost has passed and the soil warms
The early harvest will soon be ripe and ready to collect
And bring into the kitchen to be cleaned and cooked
Our favorite summer recipes are brought out of hibernation
And we invite our neighbors to share our bountiful crop
To bring to the table their own herbs and vegetables
Come my sisters and brothers and gather around with me
We are together again, at last, together as one family
The last year has been hard and we have been hurt deeply
Divided by 6 feet, divided by miles, divided in our hearts
But soon part of the nightmare will be over, so we will gather
In parks, in backyards, on patios, and under pergolas again
Let’s come together with food and music and joy
Meet your neighbor again, they are not so different from you
Your grandmother showed her love for you through her food
Show your love to your children, your neighbor, the stranger
Plant early the seeds of love for summer and fall
Our hearts have lain fallow and untilled for too long
Add to your heart soil amendments of compassion and care
Bring forth a new bounty of love as we enter this new world
Where nothing will be the same, except the people we share it with
Meet Mago Contributor, Francesca Tronetti, Ph.D.
This is beautiful! Here in New England the ground is still frozen, but soon it will be time to plant and it will be wonderful to have the feeling of the soil on my hands again. This reminds me of our local organic farmstand, which is definitely a community gathering place.