Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

The poem opens with the speaker observing a man attentively caring for his garden, a space that symbolizes growth, nurture, and community. The man's actions—combing the earth with his fingers and picking up pebbles around the tiny heads of sorrel—depict a deep connection to the land and a commitment to the well-being of his plants. This careful tending is contrasted with the ominous approach of clouds, which "bruise in, clog the sky," and threaten the tranquility of the garden with the onset of rain.

The man's solution to protect the sorrel from the impending storm is both practical and symbolic. He uses broken bottles, planting them over each plant to tilt the necks toward the rain. This act of protection is a poignant illustration of the man's foresight and his willingness to use what is available to him to safeguard the vulnerable. The image of the broken bottles, which could be seen as remnants of neglect or destruction, being repurposed as shields against the rain, underscores the theme of redemption and the potential for healing.

The speaker's emotional response to the man's actions—"his careful gestures clench my throat, / Wrench a hunger out of me I don’t understand"—reveals a deep longing for the kind of attentive care and protection the man offers to his plants. This hunger, though not fully understood by the speaker, speaks to a universal longing for paternal guidance, for someone to look out for us and protect us from life's storms.

The poem reaches a poignant conclusion when the man, acknowledging the resilience of the sorrel, admits, "I know they’d survive / without the bottles, I know." This statement reflects an understanding that while the plants may indeed survive on their own, the act of providing protection is an expression of care and a desire to nurture. The man's departure from the garden, leaving the speaker alone with their thoughts, prompts the speaker's candid admission: "I never had a father." This final line reveals the depth of the speaker's longing and the profound impact of the absence of a paternal figure.

"Community Garden" is a powerful meditation on the acts of caring and protection as expressions of love and the enduring impact of their presence or absence in our lives. Through the simple yet profound actions of a man tending to his garden, Bosselaar captures the essence of paternal care and the deep human yearning for such a connection. The poem invites readers to reflect on the ways in which we seek and find nurture, and the significance of those who tend to us, whether they are related by blood or bonded by shared humanity.

POEM TEXT:

 I watch the man bend over his patch,

A fat gunny sack at his feet. He combs the earth

with his fingers, picks up pebbles around

Tiny heads of sorrel. Clouds bruise in, clog the sky,

the first fat drops pock-mark the dust.

The man wipes his hands on his chest,

opens the sack, pulls out top halves

Of broken bottles, and plants them, firmly,

over each head of sorrel – tilting the necks

Toward the rain. His back is drenched, so am I,

his careful gestures clench my throat,

Wrench a hunger out of me I don’t understand,

can’t turn away from. The last plant

Sheltered, the man straightens his back,

swings the sack over his shouler, looks

At the sky, then at me and – as if to end

a conversation – says: I know they’d survive

without the bottles, I know. He leaves the garden,

plods downhill, blurs away. I hear myself

Say it to no one: I never had a father.

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