The fingers of God at work in the trees
are finishing the final touches
that will provide privacy in the back yard
for the next six months

The Japanese elm is about thirty feet across
is fully leafed now and
this morning
heavy with steady rainfall
it lowers in wide and
widely covering with its
flffy thickness to drop a canopy of green
between me and the neighbor I did not choose.

I’m so glad mercy has given me the privilege of not being offended with her
so that as the canopy falls for the year
I am at peace and
glad for the privacy
glad for visual and audio separation because of the dense green
We walk in mercy for our own sake.

Visually adjoining to the left of the great elm
is the less magnificent
yet authentic
white-flowered dogwood
It’s a little ratty in the downpour; nevertheless, it is dogwood that speaks of the perfect dogwoods across town and since they are not nearby, no comparison forces itself on me since the little-bit-ratty dogwood is the only one than lends itself to my yard across the fence from the yard of the neighbor I did not choose where its roots are set

Then about twenty degrees to the left of the north east terminus of the dogwood a small open space over the exploding rhubarb and the little pink flowers of the bush that is free to get as big as it wants to this year

The southwest edge of the huge white rhododendron (now having moved from pale pink) spreads its majestic fulness providing delicate and full coverage to east end of the patio

Deep blue morning glories
will cover remaining space
which never empties ( because birds and bees )
the place remains
blue covers that place in August
with morning blue
glorious blue
morning
glory
blue

Two envelopes of seeds
on the hutch
wait
ready
anticipating

Creator-provided privacy
beauty
snug-as-a-bug
places to sit and be
think and joy
are almost complete
Out in the Old Back Yard

Like frail morning glory blue

that turns her face to meet the sun

My Master, here I turn to you,

feeling weakened e’er begun.

Like the morning glory blue

shows her colors to the day

her fairest colors, deepest hues,

the sun paints brighter through the day.

Although uncertain humanness

in grace I choose this race to run,

A morning glory saying “yes~!”

To all your power, Light and Son