this year was

this year
this year was
long, cathartic,
and biblical.

the tomato saplings never grew.
all that time — never bloomed.

i got angry at the dry-looking earth
that never seemed to drink enough water.

so i flooded it,
muddied it,
and planted a lettuce in it.

today, it’s growing.

and the tomatoes —
the saplings —
removed from the pot
and placed in real earth,
not the expensive, “ideal” one
meant for growing tomatoes —

real earth.

and they seem to be doing well too.

today,
this year —
everything is exactly the same.