Fallow Field

The field is bound by post and rail,

bleached by the summer sun.

a stand of maple, birch, and pine rises up

a steep hill at the far end.

Wild and neglected,

grasses have grown tall and are dotted with clumps of

burdock, prickly purple thistle balls atop heart shaped leaves,

solidago, tiny bright yellow flowers in narrow spires,

pokeweed with clusters of dark purple berries. 

Little black and white Chickadees and Nuthatches dart about,

snatching insects drawn to the weeds. 

Overheard a Red-tailed Hawk circles,

hunting the mice and voles that search for seeds. 

Over a year or two without interference

this quiet activity will restore the soil,

and the land will be ready for fresh cultivation.