My first, when I was young, I sowed from seed,
raked the bare earth, picked out the stones,
the weeds, levelled the undulations.
It was seasons in the making,
but never took the mower well.
And she disliked the way it grew,
the shape of things, and the borders,
as they took on angles, and a sharpness.
She moved her mother in,
and moved me on.
And that first lawn?
It went to hell.
The second lawn was older, long-established.
But I found it weary with weed, and ire.
It was bare in places, too,
scars of abuse, and neglect.
So many seasons, that one,
in the nurturing,
but then such lush maturity,
and a pleasure in the mow.
It was rich, and sweet,
a summer wine, sipped slow.
And her love, it was rose scented,
grown children, from another man,
the only thorns.
When she passed, my love died with her,
As did the lawn.
And the children, vexatious,
they moved me on as well.
Now the seasons they grow numbered,
As I cross the void once more,
Seeking love in loneliness,
And one last lawn to mow.
The Rivendale Review 
Just after I retired my lawn mower broke down! It was the 3rd or 4th time and after pricing new ones decided not to buy another but to cover the area with gravel. Excellent poem! 😊🙋♂️
A love poem to a lawnmower.
The grass is always greener on the other side.
It can’t be a mower, “she moved her mother in”.
It’s surely the lawn, as symbolising the loves?
Yes, with relationships come houses, and with houses come gardens, and lawns (sometimes) And lawns take work, and mowing. I’m fortunate in just the one relationship, but I’ve experienced several lawns. I like the idea of one you can cut with a blunt table knife. And those forget-me-nots, they get everywhere, and I love them.
My lawn is second hand, and was always small, small enough to mow with a hand mower, or even a blunt table knife, but I’ve let the borders encroach, reduced the lawn to something more manageable still, but this year it’s gone a bit stray. An ant hill at one end, forgetmenots have seeded at the other, and the grass is in full retreat.
I’m happy!
That’s beautifully crafted, Michael – on so many levels.
Thank you, Steve. 🙏🙂
Marvellous! Thanks for sharing.