To the Daisy

To the Daisy That Has Survived Even Though the Grounds Crew Mowed Down the School Land Lab Two Years Ago

Bloom!
No matter how low they mow you,
Bloom!
Show the world you won't be stopped:
Bloom!
Keep the memory of your former glory alive--
Bloom!
Send roots deep and runners long--
Bloom!
Bring joy to those who see your smiling face:
Bloom!


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

To the Sock in the Trash

To the Sock in the Trash

Just because you're worn out
doesn't mean you're a failure.

If it weren't for the holes in your sole and toe
how would we know
the measure of our steps,
the constant erosion
of time and motion?

You're not a failure, you're my hero.
You served from below:
gauging progress
never seeking promotion
the model of devotion.


©Mary Lee Hahn, 2019

Epitaph for a Childhood

Unsplash photo by Johnny McKlung

Epitaph for a Childhood

Your days were unhurried,

unworried, unvaried.

Then came the jobs, the bills,

a mortgage, a marriage.

You're not really gone,

just buried.

©Mary Lee Hahn, 2018

Earthworm's Rain Song

Flickr Creative Commons Photo by Kurt Bauschardt

Earthworm's Rain Song

My tunnel wasn't flooded
as you used to think was true.

Your sidewalk's now my highway --
step aside, I'm wriggling through!

I'm on my way to somewhere else
with roots and leaves to chew.

I'm helpful, don't you realize --
rich soil is earthworm poo!

©Mary Lee Hahn