Stone Steps Leading No Where

My first memories of gardening are
birdbaths of stone and stone steps leading no where.

My grandmother's peonies
           and
their intoxicating aroma
      bring me back to her arms
             and
long summer days with sunshine
      that stretched from
          earliest in the morning
               until late in the evening

I remember sitting on the floor looking
      out of the window
             seeing that bird bath of stone
             and
                  stone steps leading no where

the greyness of the stone punctuated by
          pink and white

the petals pink and white
        tightly wound together
             bound together

slowly opening
       to spread that intoxicating
                aroma up and around
                   that bird bath of stone
      and
           stone steps leading no where

She'd gather us around
       and show us her joy
            and tell stories of each flower
       as we walked those stone steps
               that went no where

we would stop at each plant
        and she would show us
                   their beauty

"The ants too are needed"she'd say

With out them the bird bath of stone
          and the stone steps leading no where
                would be

without color

without joy

without memories of the stone steps that
went no where.