From Barney and Gienka
Garden and House
In June, Gienka’s black tulips have already come and gone:
time now for irises and the first inkling of roses.
Tomatoes go in on the sunny side of the half-dead oak,
tied to bamboo stakes with her old nylon stockings.
On the Fourth, tiger lilies will appear: spotted orange flags.
Our house isn’t much to look at: gray, ant-
infested, peeling. Inside, wallpaper is brown-
edged and lace curtains burn in the light they capture.
Above the parlor sofa the Redeemer exposes a heart
that Barney once said couldn’t pump blood on a bet.