Tiller | by A'Ja Lyons
Vines lengthened in gratitude. Earth rumbled in reply. New moisture enriched the soil and revived that which had been left to rot.
On an acreage where mounds of fertile soil rested, a tiller toiled. Her labor was not that of a roustabout. Unlike hands wielding metal weaponry and piercing the earth she came with reverence. At winter’s thaw and spring’s glisten she approached flora ready to flourish. Turning over and breaking up soil is vital for sod in need of nutrients. Working in soil with an excess of moisture present can cause compression and form barriers to moisture dispersal. Dry and compacted soil must be broken up to open up and revive.
Breaking up does not mean breaking down. The soil fertile, but a disruption in energy depleted nutrients and unbalanced the ecosystem. Gnats swarmed. Woody invasives had overtaken and their gnarly roots settled deep.
