She destroyed the garden in her good pants—
Cherry tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers and lettuce—
Using a spade, rake, and hoe.
Using her bare hands.
She trampled ordered rows, snapped stalks,
Raked it all under, and tamped the ground flat.
She was methodic. In possession of herself.
How could I stop her?
She had to get back at her body.
She had to get back at the earth.
After, she sat down in the dirt
And rubbed her raw hands.
Michael Phillips has published short stories and poems in several journals, including Pebble Lake Review, River Walk Journal, Dark Skies Magazine, and The Monongahela Review (Forthcoming). He lives with his wife in Downingtown, PA, and works as an editor for a nonprofit healthcare research institute.