On Why We Garden/To Pop

The rhythm of the season begins

not with a purchase but with a palm full of dirt

a quiet defiance against the fluorescent hum of grocery aisles

it is the art of turning a handful of copper colored seeds

into a summer of abundance

There is a distinct grounding magic

in watching a dollar’s worth of effort

stretch into baskets of heavy sun warmed tomatoes

and greens that snap with life

the budget breathes easier here

the receipt is written in sweat and rain instead of ink

cutting the tether to rising prices and plastic wrapped fatigue

But the harvest is too loud to keep to oneself

it spills over the fence

into the hands of a neighbor who didn't know they were hungry for community

or onto the wooden tables of the local pantry

to grow a row for a stranger

is to plant a quiet revolution

transforming a backyard plot into a shared lifeline

ensuring that the dignity of a fresh meal

is not a luxury but a gift passed from one hand to another

In the garden we learn the math of grace

the more we give away

the richer the soil becomes.