Poem: Little Orchard

BOOKS AND ARTS OCTOBER 22, 2007

How many trees--miniatures at that--

before we call it an orchard. How much

pleasure bobs there, for how many songbirds.

Something so big in the little fruit trees.

Yet one peck and they spoil the juvenile fruit.

And the deer lean their whole earthly weight

to the mesh fencing, scraping the mild

derma of trunks down to the infant bone.

And beetles drink the sap of what's left, even

after it's dry. And fly away, separate,

each to a high separate limb. Crisp leaves.

And the green pears shrivel hard as nuts.

And something strips the sour cherry overnight. Fruit for the beast. Not a leaf left for love.

By David Baker