The Grass is Always Greener Across the Street

This poem was written this summer as I noticed out the window how much time the neighbor couple spends on their yard to make it look so nice.   I started thinking about other neighborhoods that I have seen or lived in.  It seems there is always a “best yard” on the block that is envied. 

A cardboard teepee makes a great summer playhouse in 1994

The Grass is Always Greener Across the Street  
 by Janet Sobczyk, 2012ⓒ 

In any neighborhood

there is a yard

better than the rest,

always green, mown,

watered, and trimmed,

with great flowers

and maybe a fountain.

It’s beautiful to see,

quite an asset.

The couple who lives

there works so hard

to keep it up,

then rests in chairs

watching the neighborhood.

Our yard was pretty, too,

when we moved in

many years ago.

Later, the kids

were born and played

all sorts of games

on our lawn everyday.

Now it’s not so pretty

with brown patches

where bases have stood.

There are some weeds

and the bushes

are overgrown,

we need to water, too.

But our kids are still young,

there are places

to go and things to do.

There’s seldom time

to do yard work,

so our poor lawn

is slightly neglected.

Yet someday there’ll be time

when kids are gone

to tend a perfect lawn.

And then we’ll sit

in our lawn chairs

watching, waiting

for the kids to visit.

But now is the time to

enjoy our kids,

don’t wish time would fly.

I much prefer

to have them here

rather than have

the best yard on the block.

The kids building snow forts in 2000