Debbie Levy - The Garden Secret

The Garden Secret
by
Debbie Levy

Of all the gardens in the neighborhood,
Gilbert’s is the greenest.
And of all the tillers and shovels and spades,
Gilbert’s are the cleanest.

While his neighbors toil away in the soil,
Gilbert sits on his porch and drinks tea,
and for every plant that grows in their dirt,
Gilbert’s got seventy-three.

Through sun and clouds, drought and flood,
Gilbert’s garden keeps growing,
as he drinks his tea in his rocker and rocks,
 not sowing or mowing or hoeing.

Gilbert’s a gardening genius,
and he’ll tell you just how he succeeds:
“The secret to my lovely garden,” he says,
“is I only and strictly grow weeds.”

©Debbie Levy. All rights reserved.

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I can't be sure, but I think Debbie Levy was writing about me in the above poem. Except that I even kill weeds... though I sure follow the idea of not hoeing, mowing, or sowing!

So many of the poets who are part of this annual 30/30 shindig have a great amount of range, but I think you could find Debbie Levy pictured in the dictionary's definition. Obviously, she can bring the funny (and has published such) and nail what a younger child would love. She also writes non-fiction (in verse and out of verse). And middle grade. Yeah, that too.

And guess what? Her novel Imperfect Spiral coming out in July (from Walker Books/Bloomsbury)? Right. It's YA, dealing with themes and topics far afield from weed-gardening... but guaranteed to be just as effective. That's amazing to me, I gotta say. I love that range... and it's just one reason I'm so happy having Debbie Levy here today as part of 30 Poets/30 Days.

Yesterday, Nancy Bo Flood gave us Immigrant's Song: Coal Dust, Peppers, and Tomatoes. Tomorrow... Jon Agee takes a leap and gives us High Jump! For more on 30 Poets/30 Days and ways to follow along, please click here.