Marvin's Garden

Marvin's wife adored him,
just as he adored his collection of selected 
farm tools. 
He really didn't know the value of all he had.
Arthritis prohibited him
from tying his left shoe correctly,
and reach for things above his head.
His back ached, but the warm sun on his back,
while weeding, warmed his spine.
He never complained just moseyed along
every day.
 
Damn, if  he'll ever return
Farmer Wyman's soil tester,
as he didn't think it worked, anyway,
and when Farmer Wyman gave it to him,
it had only two strips left,
and he had to use them both.
Marvin's not the one to pass blame
or belittle anyone, he just wants a fair deal.
 
His wife wants to throw out his dungarees,
for they have more holes growing in them where
if she washes them again they'll disappear.
He likes his airiness,
as well as those jeans.
 
Neighbors thinks he's odd, when gardening?
He always wears his garden belt with pouch,
containing scissors, salt, knife, spray bottle,
and his hankie.
His wife always argued and became upset,
when Marvin would not always be
hungry for supper, because he liked
to occasionally taste of his prized garden
beauties.
 
He always dreamed of this garden of Eden,
since Bible studies, when he was ten.
Now, it's his garden of Eden.
Where he's peacefully content.

It'd be an empty scene
without the stationary view
of Marvin standing in his plush garden.
Just like a gnome that people place
in their flowerbeds, and Marvin
is a peaceful gnome.
Marvin's vegetables and fruits were always
protected, because he was always there
during the day.
There were times the birds would come, anyway,
with a few rabbits and Marvin liked the company.
But one day a majestic stag
was grazing on his Brussels sprouts,
and Marvin realized, and smiled,
"There's enough for everyone."
Yet, when Marvin had to leave home,
with doctor's visits and the like,
that is when the uninvited guests would come,
Marvin didn't believe in traps,
and will call it just the luck of the draw.
They never could eat much,
he always thought.
For if they did,r
he would just plant more.
 
Many Summer's heat squelched the garden
but an Autumn's breeze tempered the heat.
Winter's cold and ice would squeeze out what life,
that was left of the decaying debris creating
fertilized mulch for Springs growth.
So ,much of this has happened, where
now, the garden's still there,
unattended, full of flowering weeds,
and with beautiful flowering cauliflower,
with greenish, yellowish border with a cream centered
and stunningly protruding purple stamen.
The garden's leaves were taupe and reddish brown,
withered, wrinkled and strewn,
haphazardly across the surface
and between the degrading rows.
Borderless garden now is  being cramped and invaded
by fields of wild flowers, that are claiming back
what was once theirs,
and yet, dangling from on decaying Peachtree
is a garden belt.
Tattered leather with one saltshaker
in its pouch, and one decayed morsel
on the fork's twisted
tine.