Hamilton
Gardens, Early April
A
blossom fell to the ground, still white, its stamens
Shivering
in the sunlight, and one bee circled within
Eager
so long as the nectar was intact, its smell
A
seductive presence, and above on the tree,
The
petals hovering in the sunlight, a trio
Of
bees danced within, and then another,
All
eager for the sticky juices, unaware the day
Was
coming when the winds would shake them all away.
We
walked alone slowly through the gardens
And
alone in the sunlight of the last autumnal hour,
Prodding
to each other to see the blossoms and the bees,
More
aware than they of what the winter holds in store,
Unwilling
to speak of what we know, under the trees
And
the shadows and the need we felt to rest our feet.
Two of us for a Seder
Enough
unleavened bread for the both of us, and wine
For
a visitor who might magically appear, and some
Chopped
nuts and raisins, and a hardboiled egg, herb
And
shank bone burnt, but at the table, who
Could
ask the questions and hide the affikomen?
Who
was strong enough to sit, even aslant, so long,
Waiting
for the rabbis to finish their debates?
This
year we could not open the door for strangers
And
cry our imprecations, or sip four cups,
Or
repeat endlessly that it would have been
Enough,
and so we forgot the little goat
Who
cost my father two zizzim. The oven
Remained
unopened, the borsht sat in its glass
Unslurped.
This, too, we whispered, this too, shall pass.
Incident
a little after dawn
Under
the plum tree, the black cat worries something.
It
takes a moment to realize the threat, the need
to
bark. I should have seen in an instant the birds
were
absent, not even balancing on the fence
nor
hovering on nearby roofs, as is their wont.
Later,
after the sparrows, blackbirds and thrush
clear
away the morning’s white slices, the older brood
hops
to the kitchen window to admonish me.
The
looks they give assure me this is no simple lapse.
They
could miss their crumbs and morning whistle.
They
could even wait an extra day for water to be changed.
Had
I counted them, as usual, to be sure all were there?
What
they want me to know they cannot say, they
are
so aghast and angry. God has failed them yet again.