gardening

she is slower
now, up the steps,
down the steps to
water the flowers,
tend to the pots
on the back deck,
tilting the hanging
plants to give
them a spray.
it's her knees,
her back, the joints
don't heat up
like they used to.
but she finds a
spot where she
can let the sun
touch her face,
and warm her while
she digs, and
weeds her way
through another
year, her ninth
decade. so many
years of tending
flowers, and watering
her children.