Gone To Seed

GONE TO SEED

It was all but a wilderness. Where once grass had grown, pristine and proud, flanked by bordered beds whose obedient shrubs stayed dutifully within their allocated square of soil.

Birds had flocked to feed and children laughed as they had looked for newts and fish who swirled and swam in ponds protected by a heron made of plastic.

Roses rambled carefully against wall and trellis and butts collected water when it rained. Tomatoes never failed and plums aplenty fell in time for jam as runner beans fed family and friends and even won a prize that year when....

When did it go to seed?
When did clarity get swamped by weeds of fear and snails slither over all the leaves of certainty?
When did colours blur, blooms die and fragrance fade beyond recalling?
When did blight begin to bite and bindweed choke and why can't I remember when the garden started failing.
And Dementia dug in roots and thrived.