Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, A GARDEN MYSTERY, by ISABEL ECCLESTONE MACKAY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

A GARDEN MYSTERY, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: I have a garden all my own
Last Line: I wish I hadn't thought of that!
Subject(s): Children; Gardens & Gardening; Childhood


I HAVE a garden all my own,
I digged it with my little spade;
I hoed it crumbly with my hoe
And, when it was all nice and made,
I put long rows of seed to bed
(Tucking them in so snug and tight)
And gave them each a bed-time drink,
In case it shouldn't rain at night.

Then, every morning, I ran quick
To see if they had come awake,
To tidy up their beds, and draw
New bed-quilt patterns with my rake.
I did not poke them once! I did
Exactly like the seedman said,
But when the seeds woke up—guess what?
They'd got all changed around in bed.

They sprawled all over everywhere!
Some were so squeezed they nearly died,
One had a whole row to itself
And some had tumbled quite outside.
Not one was where I tucked it in—
Now, wasn't that the strangest thing?
It couldn't have been me, because
I made the rows quite straight with string.

They must have done it all themselves
But why they did it no one knows—
Unless perhaps they felt the cold
And huddled up beneath the clothes?
Or p'r'aps they had a nawful fight,
Or p'r'aps were scratched up by our cat,
Or p'r'aps my rake—Oh, goodness me;
I wish I hadn't thought of that!





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