The End of Summer

The poem takes place as summer comes to a close. Borowicz captures the essence of autumn as a time of transition, reflection, and letting go. The speaker struggles to accept the changing seasons especially since it entails surrendering something precious to her: the tomato plants she spent months cultivating. The speaker recalls the way her ancestors sang as they pulled up flax, showing the way that traditional cultures supported humans during times of transition.

The Speaker's Garden

The poem's primary setting is the speaker's garden, where she spent months carefully cultivating tomato plants. The speaker hones in on these particular plants, which demonstrate multiple stages of life. This can be seen in how the odor of rotting fruit commingles with the existence of tiny yellow blossoms. Despite the speaker's regret, she continues to uproot the plants and "toss them in the compost" (6). In other words...