Somehow it has all come down to this

Somehow it has all come down to this
Long dog walks in the mornings
The garden in early light
Memories that rise and fall like June fog along the coast
A finch at the feeder, now two
An unknown rustling in the nearby grass
Earth running through fingers as I engage the hopeful art of planting
A circling red-tail casting its shadow on the field
Sending ground squirrels into hiding
Into earth, where I will eventual and final
Join
Yet now I join in this with all my longing
Holding this love like the last note of a song
Feeling life’s skin along the length of my body
Knowing that this is enough
Enough
Is this joy that has finally caught up with me?
Or the gratitude that I have pursued for so long?
God help me, is it wisdom?
(It’s about time!)
Then again, perhaps sentimental men are given the gift
Of belonging, at last, to the family of things as they are
But as I work in the garden,
I find myself humming old tunes.