Written for Wea’ve Written Weekly.
Our PoW Sally invites us to write a
poem about gardens and the many
things that lie beneath the surface.

The robin waits. She always does.
I feel her shadow, hear the buzz
of danger …. freeze …. then tunnel fast,
and pray this morning is not my last.
Then comes the shovel, cold and wide,
that splits my world from side to side,
a gardener who means me well
but turns my Tuesday into hell.
The rains arrive and flood my hall,
I surface …. gasping …. cursing all
that water, only to find there
a concrete sidewalk, hot and bare.
Battered, muddy, still I churn,
A worried worm at every turn.
NAR©2026
#W3
This is “Digging In The Dirt” by Peter Gabriel
Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, except where otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.

hi, Nancy❣️
Just wanna let you know that this week’s W3, hosted by our beloved Benji, is live until next Monday (July 6):
Much love,
David
LikeLike
I loved the whimsy and the rhyme! I used to “rescue” stranded earthworms tossing them from the sidewalk to the grass!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Worm Whisperer! A noble profession, Val! 🪱. Thanks so much for a great comment! ☺️
LikeLike
Poor worm 🪱
LikeLiked by 1 person
It can be easy being a little worm! Thanks, Sadje. ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nancy, I love how you tell this story through the eyes of a worried worm, making everyday gardening feel like a big and funny adventure.
~David
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, David. It’s always fun taking on the non-human voice! 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Worm’s eye view! They might all need some anti-anxiety breathing exercises!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poor little buggers!
Dug you out of spam again!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I seem to be hanging out there a lot!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😏 🤷🏼♀️
LikeLike
I guess Keith is right about this one! heheheh
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! He usually is!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Worms have feelings too! Love the poem – and the picture’s perfect.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Right on! Let’s hear it for the worm!
LikeLike
YUM! (The poetry, not the worm…)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Slurp! Thanks, Ron.
LikeLike
The life of a worm is filled with adventure, nice story Nancy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Who knew? Thanks, Jim!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Apparently, you did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nothing more wonderful than finding worms wriggling around in your compost!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are industrious little squigglers, aren’t they? 🪱
LikeLiked by 1 person
Be kind to our little wormy critters
Worms are among the earliest multicellular animals, with fossil evidence showing worm-like creatures over 500 million years old.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It truly boggles the mind, doesn’t it, my friend. Thanks for sharing your comments and music with me today. 🥰
LikeLiked by 1 person
Worms and millipedes fascinate me …
Millipedes were the earliest animals to breathe air
And make the move from water to land
They date back 428 million years …
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you may be writing a wormy poem soon, my friend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The early bird catches the worm
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great story, who would have thought being a worm was so perilous?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly! The things we don’t see. Thanks, Sweets!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haha — this made me laugh. Great poem — and I love your AI-assisted picture accompanying it.
The song? — I was unfamiliar with it. It made me uncomfortable so I looked up the story behind the song and it all made sense. It’s the perfect song for the prompt. I’ll go back and listen again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, that video is kind of creepy …. I’m not a fan of anything crawling on me …. but it’s really creative! So glad you enjoyed today’s post. Thanks, Sally!
LikeLike
The life of a worm
LikeLiked by 1 person
Poor guy! 🪱
LikeLiked by 1 person