In The Monastery Garden

Love is not longing it is action—
The six novices in the monastery garden know this

and it makes them furious.
They swear between their teeth.

On their knees
in soil wet with last night's rain

to weed the bean rows
with no breakfast this morning but bitter coffee.

In anger the six hiss like a swarm of black bees
while they pull the weeds.

Copyright © 2003 George Keithley All rights reserved
from The Starry Messenger
The University of Pittsburgh Press
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission