Blossoms Abounding...
Every year,Along with my fellow Torontonians,
I watch reports
Of High Park’s cherry blossoms…
When to expect them
And what stages they’re in…
Along with lots of pix,
Of course…
It is our Rite of Spring.
In Spring of 1988
I visited Japan
With a group of my
Canadian Buddhist buddies.
We attended a wonderful
Buddhist meeting
In a member’s home
In Yamanashi.
Sakura was in full tilt
But early that morning
It had snowed.
In anticipation of our meeting,
Members went out
Before the snow could
Demolish the glory,
They cut limbs
Lined with the pink blossoms
And hung them
On the walls.
This year my friend, Fiona,
Lives in the England,
In the West Midlands...
Where she offers
Things like reflexology,
Reiki, and intuitive readings.
In the last couple of weeks
She visited her brother
In London and
she shared this image
Of apple blossoms
In Maylow Park’s
Community orchard.
I love that humans
Everywhere
Come together
To celebrate
Spring’s resplendent luxury.
I also love seeing humans
In my own hood venture forth
In shorts and flip-flops.
Of course, this is the time
Of flip-flopping back to
Coats and boots the next day.
As I write this, we
Have a forecast
Of overnight frost.
May 24th can’t come
Soon enough.
Then on the 25th
We’ll complain
About the heat
Again.
We can, after all
Rejoice in
All the cycles…
All the rites.
...
If this isn't nice, what is?
~ Kurt Vonnegut, of course
