W. D. Snodgrass(b. 1926)
Sonnet 2: "Late April and you are three; today"
Late April a n d y o u are three; t o d a y
W e d u g y o u r g a r d e n i n t h e yard.
T o c u r b t h e d a m a g e o f y o u r play,
Strange dogs at night and the moles tunneling,
Four slender sticks of lath 0 stand guardwood
Uplifting their thin string.
S o y o u w e r e t h e first t o tramp i t d o w n .
A n d after t h e earth w a s s i f t e d c l o s e
Y o u b r o u g h t y o u r w a t e r i n g c a n t o d r o w n
All earth and us. But these mixed seeds are pressed
With light loam in their steadfast rows.
C h i l d , w e ' v e d o n e o u r b e s t .
S o m e o n e will h a v e t o w e e d a n d s p r e a d
T h e y o u n g sprouts. Sprinkle t h e m i n t h e h o u r
W h e n s h a d o w falls a c r o s s their b e d .
Y o u s h o u l d try to l o o k at t h e m every day
B e c a u s e w h e n t h e y c o m e t o full f l o w e r
I will be away.