Since the plum is done
 
with blooming for now, let fruit
 
set abundantly!

 
 
 

First rain of the year—
 
instead of pruning fruit trees,
 
I sip jasmine tea.

 
 
 

Late-August dreaming:
 
I filch a ripe purple plum
 
from a bowl of fruit.

 
 
 

How disheartening—
 
origami plum blossoms
 
that will bear no fruit!

 

 
 
 

Three days in a row
 
wind shakes my apricot tree,
 
but the fruit holds on.

 
 
 

Windy afternoon—
 
how does the apricot tree
 
hold on to its fruit?

 
 
 

Gusty afternoon—
 
my apricot tree shudders
 
and shrugs off some fruit.

 
 
 

Deepening winter—
 
the orchards and vineyards keen
 
for their stolen fruit.

 
 
 

Am I a basket,
 
that I should be filled with fruit
 
picked by careless hands?

 
 
 

Hot tea with honey?
 
Some fruit to nibble with it?
 
Good, now let us talk!