Suzanne Bratcher

GARDENING IN MS

I have a dog-eared book
on my shelf. It's called
Gardening in the Southwest.

My friend Mary has a book
like it. It's called
Gardening in the Tropics.

My friend Nadine has
one too. It's called
Gardening in Granite.

Maybe I'll write a new
book. I think I'll call it
Gardening in MS.

Some chapters will be the same,
topics most gardeners
already know:

"Gardening in Small Spaces,"
"Gardening in Containers,"
"Gardening in Shade."

Other chapters will be new,
you might even say
ground-breaking:

"Gardening in Moonlight,"
"Gardening in a Chair,"
"Gardening in Relapse."

Not many gardeners will need
my book, but those who do
will discover it's about

dirt under our fingernails
and the sometimes surprising
tenacity of life.

Suzanne Bratcher is a freelance writer and gardener living on Guam. Her publications include poetry, short stories, non-fiction articles, and two books on the teaching of writing. A year ago she discovered she's been living with MS for the last 15-20 years.