Creeping Charlie
the floodlights along their driveway
dimmed to nothing
after they left,
like a decommissioned lighthouse.
signs appeared.
metal reminders marked
the thorsen’s driveway:
remax, century, coldwell, then nothing.
we wondered why they left.
six months later, creeping Charlie,
dandelions and burdock
darted through cracks in the driveway.
the thorsens had planted asparagus
along the driveway.
they came up this spring,
emerging as reborn warriors.
after they were gone,
we cut them at the ground.
they kept on giving
though we always leave one spear
for the thorsens, just in case.
—David Blackey, La Crosse, WI
