What you are looking at now is the secret ... well ... secret to me anyways ... stone patio that circles my fire pit and was hidden under years' worth of lawn growth in my backyard. I was doing some weed whacking and uncovered what looked suspiciously like a paver stone. I kept searching and kept finding more and more pavers until ... voilà ... a pretty substantial amount of stone work was returned to the world of consciousness and my bare feet.

The problem of course was that a whole lot weeds and sod had formed in between the joints of each paver. Three days of hard labour later and I had done what I thought to be a pretty decent job of getting rid of them. We had a couple days to enjoy all the toil and then set out for a road trip. I came back the following week to find the weeds had returned in my absence and recolonized the crevices and crooks. Another couple weeks and they would have fully reclaimed the patio for oblivion.

There was only one thing to do. Lift up every single stone and remove as much sod and roots as possible. Below is the semi-finished work. I am going to add some more decorative pebbles and rocks and put some sand in between the stones once they get a chance to settle some. Then I am planning to get creative with the cracked pavers. The pad really has become a labour of love for me and a special place. Stay tuned if adventures in the backyard interests you:)

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Earth-Bound Limb

earth-bound limb
bent and twisted, for support
shade and taffeta on my skin

still, the lady dances
a cotillion, on the wind

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A Single Bloom

a single bloom
a butterfly, a bumble
a soft skirmish

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The Wind Whispers

the wind whispers
knowingly
a chatty sensai
to a silent savant

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Words and Poetry are my own. Images unless otherwise attributed are a collaboration between me and AI, Grok. They should be viewed visual haiku, in that they contain symbolism. The concepts are my own creation and the rendering AI. Keep drawing and painting. AI cannot replace your hard work and excellence. Simply a new form of creation is about. Earth-Bound Limb, A Single Bloom, and the Wind Whispers were all most recently and first published on X social media platform. The Crab Apple and the Plum is published in Strays. All titles below represent lengthier works. are available in paperback or digital through amazon and your local libraries and bookstores. Click on any title below to further explore and support my writing.