the plum trees are flowering
all along our street
their pale pink petals
are a welcome sight
against the gray
but startling–
what will come of
their fruit this year
when summer paid a visit
in the middle of winter
when the rains came little and late
and what if the cold stays
weeks too long?
do the bees know the difference
between errant winter nectar
and the feasts of spring?
the tomatoes seem confused,
still blooming and fruiting
though temperatures drop beyond
their usual thresholds
are the plants confused?
or is it just us?
is there some primal thing
inside all creatures
which is prepared for
such inconsistencies
some instinct humans
with our constructed dates
and times and routines
have pushed back, pushed
away from our awareness–
that we must always be
ready to change and grow
that we must be ready to evolve
in whatever ways the environment
may require of us
in whatever ways we have forced
the earth to ask of us
i will not be surprised
but i will mourn
if there are no plums
next summer
narinda heng 