The Agony of the Garden

The existential stress inflicted on
all living things in extremes of weather
reflects the misery of the parched garden
under the fierce summer sun, sizzling
delicate blooms, shrinking foliage
as the exalted beauty of summer
flowers withdraw in sheer misery in
an uncommon heat wave. The heat is
a cloying tempest of high humidity
and searing wind; the excess of an
afternoon exposure of extremes. The
agony of the garden is suddenly
broken with an approaching series
of heavenly blasts enclosing the sun
behind shutters of purple cloud
as the sky is rent by thunderheads
sending their electrical calling cards.
Soon the garden has been doubly
battered, prostrate from the debilitating
breath of the sun followed by a
previously desiccating wind that
now hurls watery blasts of rainfall,
a copious drenching washing away the
torrid heat in bursts of assaulting
rain, piercing and tearing the elegant
garden, ragged and dishevelled, yet
defiant in its intent to husband the sun
and rain to its defence and repair.