A Lament for my Green Beans

I sowed you with my own two hands
With dreams of how you’d grow
I planted you in fertile sands
But how was I to know
That when at last you’d had your chance
To sprout and live as healthy plants
You’d whither with the circumstance
And yield an empty row

I gave you everything you needed
Water, earth, and sun
But all my efforts went unheeded
Every single one
I hoed you, tilled you, kept you weeded
Watched and prayed and hoped and pleaded
But you gave up and quit, defeated
Withered, wasted, done

You left me kneeling, all alone
In shock and disbelief
You died away, unseen, unknown
No root, no stalk, no leaf
I never thought you’d be outgrown
But when I left you on your own
You perished under dirt and stone
Replacing hope with grief

Now all those dreams are crushed and gone
My joys and laughs so few
But time has passed, I’m moving on
I’ll sow and plant anew
I’ll see a perfect harvest yet
But never, in my heart, forget
The tragic loss and deep regret,
The memory of you

-Dedicated to the lost green beans of May, 2010-

-By Gideon