Addendum III: Cherry Blossom Time

This poem makes all the more impact when you remember that symbolically and in the traditional language of flowers, cherry blossom means impermanence. Their beauty, sadly, does not last long. Judith Harris is a cherry blossom seasoned Washington poet.

(And yes, I am continuing to post here sporadically for the meantime. Sometimes I come across poems I just need to post! :)

In Your Absence - Judith Harris

Not yet summer,
but unseasonable heat
pries open the cherry tree.

It stands there stupefied,
in its sham, pink frills,
dense with early blooming.

Then, as afternoon cools
into more furtive winds,
I look up to see
a blizzard of petals
rushing the sky.

It is only April.
I can't stop my own life
from hurrying by.
The moon, already pacing.