Whenever my children find a creature outside, they want to know what it is.
So we look, we draw, we talk.
This poem was inspired by the discovery of an earthworm in the school garden.
(The picture above is a creature we discovered during another activity.)
There
are secrets in the soil-
quiet
whisperings of change
burrows
dug down deep below
where
raindrops can be drained.
Roomy
earthy spaces
where
air can flow right in
and
plants can soak up nutrients
ready
for the Spring.
S p r e a d i n g out their roots
seeking
anchorage in the ground,
the
zone of elongation proud
as big
new cells abound.
There
are secrets in the soil-
tiny,
delicate and thin-
lining
all these brand new roots
drawing
minerals quickly in.
Invisible
to eyes
particles
of nitrogen softly hide
in teensy
little droppings
the
worms have cast aside.
These
tiny squirmy workers
know
just what all plants need
and
wriggle close beside them
ensuring
they succeed.
