Old Guard Poem by R. G. Bell

Fertilized with a dose of aggravation,
And watered with a little touch of gall,
Her lawn has sprouted warning signs to tell
The neighbor children and passing dog walkers
To 'keep off the grass' and that 'no trespassing'
Will be tolerated in that domain.
(They are so thick if you tripped over one
A second would impale you in the fall.)

Armed with a rake, wearing a fatigued dress
And a wrinkled countenance, she stands guard
From the steps of her blistering Victorian home,
And dares the world to ignore those signs.