Mammy often says,
“If you find a grey hair
and pull it out
ten more will grow
in its place.”

I think that the same thing
can also be said
about fox gloves –
for every fox glove
that dies in your garden,
ten more will grow
in its place.

And I reckon
that Danny was well aware of that
all those years ago
when he planted his first ever fox glove,
reassuring Dolores, while he did so,
that this one wee fox glove
wouldn’t take over her entire garden –
sure, wouldn’t it only last one year?

Every year now
Dolores’ garden is dotted
with pink and purple fox gloves
that pop up
abundantly and randomly
in so many corners
of her garden –
among trees and hedges,
shrubs and flowers,
flower beds and terracotta pots.

Thank you, Lord,
for slender, swaying fox gloves
that remind us all
of a slightly mischievous Danny
with his deep love of gardening
who found slender, swaying fox gloves
simply irresistible!

© Claire Murray, 11th June 2017