This poem is a reminder of the spiritual tools we can plant in our lives to find recovery. By cultivating spiritual principles like prayer and perseverance, we can “squash” negative behaviors like gossip and criticism. The final rows of “turnips” are a call to action, urging us to show up for meetings, service, and our commitment to abstinence, thereby “turning up” a smile and living a life of recovery.

In my good garden, I would first plant five rows of peas:
Preparedness
Promptness
Perseverance
Politeness
Prayer

Next to them I would plant three rows of squash:
Squash gossip
Squash criticism
Squash indifference

Then I’d plant in five rows of lettuce:
Let us be loyal
Let us be faithful
Let us be truthful
Let us be unselfish
Let us love one another

And no garden is complete without turnips. Mine would be:
Turn up for meetings
Turn up for Service
Turn up for living the 12 Steps and Traditions to the best of my ability
Turn up the smile
Turn up with a commitment to abstinence