the long drive home

she was wearing her
white plastic
boots
out in the yard, a hoe
nearby in case
a snake slithered up.
she was raking leaves
in a long
dress, her hair up.
her face a plum color
in the cold.
the trees were bare
and the sun was
as low as it gets for
that time of year.
i remember looking out
the window
watching her,
raking, pulling weeds,
moving rocks from one place
to another
for no other reason
than it felt right.
sometimes she'd look up
and wave.
i'd wave back and think
about how empty the trees
had become.
i'd think about the long
drive home.