Garden Mother Horta

Garden Mother Horta
© Surazeus
2026 11 07

While repairing wood walls of their fane home, 
replacing rotten porch pillar with pine 
he chopped and hauled down from the mountain slope, 
Satres stands on tiled roof in leather apron 
and sees his wife and daughter hauling bags 
of fruit and herbs they gathered by lake shore. 

Heart aching as he watches with concern 
how Lartha, gentle wife with silver eyes, 
and Thania, clever daughter with gold curls, 
struggle to drag bags of food over field 
of bushes and stones to stock cellar shelves, 
Satres pictures wagon with rolling wheels. 

Carving multiple blocks of wood in curves 
with adze he hones sharp on smooth river stones, 
Satres assembles four wheels from oak felloes, 
fitting them with dowels into strong rings, 
adjusts them with axles of sturdy pine, 
then presents wagon to his surprised wife. 

Hauling wagon down to shore of the lake 
where fruit trees, herbs, and vegetables grow wild, 
Satres holds up shovel he bought from Velthur 
who forged it from metal in the hill cave, 
then when Lartha shows him small fruit trees 
or vegetables she wants, he digs them up. 

Planting trees and vegetables in clay pots, 
that he carefully extracts from thick soil, 
Satres hauls wagon back to their fane home 
where Thania hoes rows of furrows from field, 
then Lartha shows him where to place each pot 
as he digs holes deep enough for long roots. 

Hauling pots of water filled from the lake, 
Satres rests on bench under shady elm 
while Thania waters trees and vegetables 
which Lartha tends by pulling hungry weeds 
and trimming branches so more fruit will bloom, 
as cool breeze rustles leaves with pleasant hum. 

When several planks of the wagon get cracked 
from heavy clay pots of water or dirt, 
Satres replaces them with new-carved planks, 
then sits at table outside their fane home 
where they eat galettes baked with meat or fruit, 
and drink apple cider in evening glow. 

Strumming taut strings on lyre of Mercury 
with fingers callused by carpenter work, 
Satres sings hymn to Garden Mother Horta 
who taught him how to gather plants from fields 
and plant them in garden enclosed by walls, 
while Lartha and Thania dance on moonlight.