“Digging In Clay” is a short poem that I wrote back in 2010 after working in the garden one day, digging in the sticky clay soil that we had where we lived.
After it had rained, the clay used to be really heavy and sticky, doing it’s best to suck your shoes off your feet and making them really heavy as the clay stuck to everything. It was even really difficult to scrape my shoes on the grass, the clay just stuck fast to them.
I do love gardening, but like so many people, I often overdo it, so by the time I have finished, I’m literally finished too! Exhausted, back aching, knackered!
I hope you enjoy this little poem and if you do, as always, please share this page with your friends. I know I’m not a great poet, but it would be nice if this could reach as many people as possible. Thank you.
Gardening they say can be good for the soul
But planting means digging lots of holes
It’s really light work with a sandy soil
But our heavy clay means a lot of hard toil
It sticks to the tools and it sticks to your shoes
The clay is so sticky like thick heavy glue
But the holes did get dug and the plants have new homes
And the flower bed looks better than it did a while ago
My poor back is aching from bending so much
It could use a nice soak and a good masseur’s touch
The trowel is just covered with clay good and thick
And so is the fork, it’s so hard to unstick
As the rain starts to fall and the light fades away
I finish my job and put the scraped tools away
But first I must shuffle around on the grass
And try to remove an inch of clay that’s stuck fast
My shoes are so dirty both outside and in
I have to try to clean them before I can go in
Then walk very carefully from kitchen to shower
Trying to not leave muddy prints on the carpet and floor
Finally all clean and the gardening done
It’s time to cook dinner and sit me down some
Image used under a Collective Commons License from https://pixabay.com/photos/gardening-dig-earth-spade-hole-1260775/
