—for Richard L. Tracy,
garden editor, The Sacramento Bee (ret.)

Our hero in so many ways—
comical and horticultural,
good person of the earth.

Dear friend, father, husband,
fine writer and photographer,
raconteur, he of the wicked wit,
has announced his imminent
departure.

And we wonder if,
just before his last breath,
he will slowly raise
his left hand toward his mouth
and announce into his
atomic-powered, two-way
wrist radio,

“Roger wilco, over and out.”