Glancing down
at bright green
stalks of celery on my plate
crisp to the bite
stuffed now with cream cheese
I have to remind myself
that this celery
grew in my garden
not in supermarket packets
celery that grew
like miniature trees
lined up in two short rows
I talked to it,
fed it, gave it plenty of water
tried not to play favorites
It actually grew
in rocky New England soil
far from California
crunch, crunch, the celery
disappears