hoe (noun)

1. any of various implements for tilling, mixing, or raking

 

hoe — as in I tend to my gardens across county lines

which is to say:

I got hoes in different area codes

 

the weeds have sprung up after a much needed rain,

go fetch the hoe & get to work

 

 

hoe (verb)

2. to weed, cultivate, or thin (a crop) with a hoe

 

hoe — as in let’s hoe these overgrown thistles back

to save the harvest.

 

if we don’t hoe this bed of soil studded with white roots and green stems

there will be no bed for us tonight

 

 

hoe (noun)

3. one who gets around

 

 hoe — as in their body count is in triple digits?

damn, they must be a hoe

 

oh they gave it up on the first night?

that’s a hoe fosho

 

 

I love to hoe² when I visit my old stomping grounds.

The quality of hoes¹ differs, but as long as you know

how to use a hoe¹ you will get the job done.

I spent most of my early twenties hoeing^{2, 3}

around as I was held back before.

I say held back, as if it was someone else

but it was me, the hoe³, ashamed

to let my colors show. I’ve got hoes^{1, 3}

of all shapes, sizes, and colors yet my favorite

is no hoe^{1, 3} at all. Instead, I prefer to let the natural

landscape take back the earth until the mess it has made

cannot be undone with a single hoe^{1, 3}.