The Cherry, Apple, Peach, Plum, and Asian Pear Trees - Matt Mason (Omaha, Nebraska)
I’ve planted cherry, apple, peach,
plum and Asian pear trees in my yard.
I don’t have any idea how this is supposed to be done.
I mean, I know enough
to dig a hole, keep it wet,
but then
I get out of the way and see what happens.
I’ve learned a lot
about cedar apple rust,
a mold that starts as a wet octopus on cedar tree branches.
I now hate cedar trees.
The cherry, dwarf black,
was not supposed to be that tall or have fruit so sweet.
They tower, they are delicious.
Raccoons ate all the plums last year,
came back weeks later
on the night before I was going to pick the peaches.
I now hate raccoons.
It is April.
The cherry,
apple, peach, plum, and Asian pears
all are swelling small buds, green and purple.
They made it into another year,
same as me.
What wonder,
what glory;
I want to stand with them in the rain
and let blooms sprout up my arms.