Forty Years in the Garden

Having been born
Forty years after your own birth,
You presumably received
A surprise at the news that
I was to be.

Yet forty more years
Was never enough
To preclude
The quiet confidence you did,
Often, exude.

Now, I’ve had surprises of my own.
Through parenting,
I became we.
Through we, I became
A stronger me.

And, forty years was said to be
A significant length of time
That the Israelites wandered;
One of many lessons
You taught us to ponder.

Forty years was not enough
To thank you for your guidance
Or, receive it; to enjoy our time;
Or tell you my tomatoes currently
Ripen on the vine.

Without choosing,
When you became forty,
We said hello.
And without choosing, when I became forty, we said goodbye.
But as for this year’s garden? Perhaps you already know.