HP

Autumn Garden

It was long after the war and his escape to this little bit of country land. He had been hounded at first to be the pretty poster boy for everyone and marry certain well-bred citizens. The cry out from his disappearance and his few worded note left behind saying, “So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish,” wasn’t taken well. Though Her Majesty got a laugh out of it as she laid the Royal hiding spells on his new lands.

Autumn was his busy season with his garden as what had been growing beauties a week ago were now soggy messes that needed clearing. Some were disappearing. Leaving empty spaces. Pruning needed cutting needed done, and harvesting.
But as he cleared his little garden, he would see possibilities for the next year. Growth and new beauty to come from the death there was now that he was clearing out. Something he hadn’t been able to do after the war in his old lands. Not with everyone demanding things from him.

Autumn gardening isn’t all about clearing out, but of preparing for the new life with new soil, compost, mulch, and fertilizer laid. Something else his old land had refused to do. There was nothing there after the war put in place to bring about new growth to replace death. Not like what he was doing now in his garden.

The working of the soil in Autumn prepares for food of the body and soul, as he toiled on moving bags and soil around. But in the end, as the Autumn rains come, he sits on his porch, with his hot mead, and looks out at what he had worked hard to do. Peacefulness filled his soul.

In the end, the question must be made;
Was the garden his
Or was he the gardens
And did it really matter.

Fin
10/13/2026