Beautiful natural blossoms, <br />Pure delicate body, <br />You stand without trembling. <br />Little mist of fallen starlight, <br />Perfect, beyond my reach, <br />How I envy you. <br />For if you could only listen, <br />I would tell you something, <br />Something human. <br /> <br />An old man <br />Appeared to me once <br />In the unendurable snow. <br />He had a singe of white <br />Beard on his face. <br />He paused on a street in Minneapolis <br />And stroked my face. <br />Give it to me, he begged. <br />I'll pay you anything. <br /> <br />I flinched. Both terrified, <br />We slunk away, <br />Each in his own way dodging <br />The cruel darts of the cold. <br /> <br />Beautiful natural blossoms, <br />How could you possibly <br />Worry or bother or care <br />About the ashamed, hopeless <br />Old man? He was so near death <br />He was willing to take <br />Any love he could get, <br />Even at the risk <br />Of some mocking policeman <br />Or some cute young wiseacre <br />Smashing his dentures, <br />Perhaps leading him on <br />To a dark place and there <br />Kicking him in his dead groin <br />Just for the fun of it. <br /> <br />Young tree, unburdened <br />By anything but your beautiful natural blossoms <br />And dew, the dark <br />Blood in my body drags me <br />Down with my brother.<br /><br />James Arlington Wright<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/to-a-blossoming-pear-tree/
