Cherry Blossom Time

Every April
About this time
I get very excited
About the prospect
Of cherry blossoms
Bursting suddenly
Madly
Insanely
Into full bloom
Before our very eyes
Like facing a firing squad
A cannonade
Of pink petals
Sending shock waves
Of pink
Through every corner
Of the ether

Let a thousand cherry blossoms bloom
Let ten thousand cherry blossoms bloom
Let millions and millions of cherry blossoms bloom
And still there will not be enough of them
To satisfy the heart’s yearning
Or need
Or desire
After such a dreary winter
Of dirty snow
And charcoal grey skies
Another winter without you

And now, today
Whenever I happen to think of us
As we used to be
Just the two of us
I can still see the cherry blossoms
Of years past
Dancing in your eyes

j.h.markowitz
Philadelphia, Pa. 2011