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The receding October moon reluctantly rose,
Withdrawing from the full globe of a few days before.
I drive the night darkened country road, white lines sweeping past,
Too aware of an advancing frost in the evening haze,
Anxious to return home to fireplace warmth and light.

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No breath of breeze~
Leaves hang limp, unshaken
By wisp of wind or weary bird wing.

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Hot humid summer days are barely tolerable for a temperate climate sissy pants like me.  I am melting even as I get up in the morning, and right now our house is two degrees warmer (93 degrees) than the out of doors.  So distractions from the heat are more than welcome.

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Every hay crew is the same
Though the names change;
Young men flexing their muscles,
A seasoned farmer defying his age
Tossing four bales high,
Determined girls bucking up on the wagon,
Young children rolling bales closer,
Add a school teacher, pastor,
Professor, lawyer and doctor
Getting sweaty and dusty
United in being farmers
If only for an evening.

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The last on call night on obstetrics rotation at the army base
Ninety nine deliveries in six weeks
Mentored by competitive residents
Formal, buttoned down soldiers, hard work and play.

I fell into exhausted asleep on the bunk in the doctor's quarters
Surrounded by four snoring men
They wanted me to have one more ~~ an even one hundred
And she arrived at 4:30 AM, breathing hard, pushing.

I got up alone, scrubbed and gowned, gloved and groggy
Sat between her legs as she pushed, salty brine flowing onto my shoes
Crowning head, too purplish, no tight neck cord to relieve quickly
Before a floppy blue body tumbles into my lap.

Where are my teachers now?
Slumbering soundly.  Stirred hurriedly to action:
Suction, oxygen, resuscitate to no avail.
A tiny soul had flown from our midst, only minutes before.

My tears flow into useless amnion around my feet
To witness a mother's sobs with empty arms and bleeding womb;
There is no comfort for her or me.
Too soon my teachers shrug and walk away.

It's pea picking time this week,  thanks to my husband's dedicated gardening.  The vines are thick with pods and the harvest full and plenty.  As peas are always the first freezable vegetable to ripen in the garden, I'm now full of all sorts of energy for picking, shelling, podding, blanching and freezing.   Ask me again in two weeks how enthusiastic I am about my pea patch...

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