They felt the gloom of morning’s cast: its damp and cool and still of air that clung to their bodies as rain without the fall, a heaviness that would not change or move until rain’s release or sun’s burning through and melt of away.
Together, they worked in the garden hoeing rows, pulling weeds, and thought of tomato seedlings begun too soon, wilted and withered, in night colds that brought their own bodies close and together, warmed in hold and embrace of bare to bare, but were too much for summer plants when world and time were not yet right.
Morose of gray, they kept in slow and steady of labor that settled and blessed with a peace of spirit.
Within the earth, onions swelled. Tops showed sign with new-sprout shoots and earth around bulged in outward fracture to expanding of the bulb.
Greens and lettuce grew: leaves of green, both light and dark, ruffled and smooth in spreads, and another of dark black-scarlet that was richest in its taste. They had savored it in night, evening alone in quiet of home, ambiance of light and solitude enriching tastes and every savor.
Remembering, beside her then, he smelled her scent in air. Present and keeping in burden of still, she smelled of a sweetness and smooth like flower-bloom and spread new-green in warmth and bright spring-ideal—she its essence even in sky gloom and coldness then.
They picked of the lettuce for mid-day meal when they would savor again the crips and rich of freshly picked.
She wore a hat in guard from the mist-fall cold, sheltering over face and open shoulders of shirt’s wear. Though covering from cold, hat was made for summer’s wear.
Her scent, her semblance—spirit in garden’s tend—she was sun and light and summer-promise amidst somber and the gray.
He pined.
She sensed—tethered of the spirit.
Her smile shone and raised his hope in sign that she could see; its witness brightening smile and spirit all the more.
Basket of greens and scarlet-deep, they returned together hand in hand to open quiet of the country home where together they lain, together they made in beauty and warmth and love of bodied entwine and tethered spirits; bright in eyes, enlive of spirit; strong of spring and flower-scent in heat and close of hold.
