ROOT  THE POTATO

 

Root The Potato

Picture Book Manuscript
by Dan Leonard
Approx. 180 words

 

The garden grew quiet.

Not empty.
Not gone.

Just deeply still.

 

Above, the night was long.

Snow rested where it fell.
Moonlight did not move.

 

Below the ground,
Root waited.

He was a winter potato—

round,

solid,

brown in the dark soil.

 

The soil pressed close.

Not tight.
Just heavy.

Holding his weight.

 

Nothing reached.

Nothing searched.

The garden held its breath.

 

The Deep Pantry held everything
that had returned.

Leaves.
Stems.
What had softened.

 

Root did not change.

Everything he needed

was already inside.

The night held.

As long as it would ever be.

Everything rested.

 

 

Below the stillness,
something slept.

Too calm to see.
Not easy to name.

 

Root remained.

Round.
Heavy.

Held in the dark.

 

Scent stayed close to the ground.

Reserved.
Waiting.

 

Nearby, the Soil Keeper attended.

Her greenstone spade
held no shine at all.

Her tunnel was silent.

 

 

The night did not hurry.

The soil did not ask.

 

Root rested on.

Round.

Steady.

Holding what winter would need.