Almost every inch
of our garden 
knotted in green.
Shears in hand,
tackle beastly overgrown.
Hard at it. 
Garden far end, 
corner favourite suntrap
to bare both 
chest and soul
Playing with words,
poetry about Mum. 

A small bird 
cops a worm. 
Takes a peck 
but not devours. 
Worm will not 
give up fight. 
Serious wiggle action
outsmarts the bird.
Red breasted Robin. 
Mum loves robins,
I’ll tell her. 
Bird flies away, 
worm wiggles on. 

The robin returns. 
The penny drops,
Mum liked robins,
would’ve told her.
Getting used to
referring to mum
in the past. 
Using past tenses.
Past perfect tense.
Past continuous tense. 
The hardest adjustment,
however much practice
five months on. 

Hang bird feeder 
from tree branch.
Watching robin discover
bird feeder from 
chair indoors, sitting 
with stiff joints.   
Mum used to
say, few birds
in her garden. 
Bird flies away.
Soars to sky. 
Out of view.
Please visit Mum. 
Send my love. 
Return before long, 
letting me know
how Mum is 
in present tense.