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November 9, 2013

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Poetry

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Pear Tree HaĪbun

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I have planted hundreds of vegetables, herbs, flowers, bulbs and shrubs in my years of gardening, but very few trees. Last year, I planted one tree for each of my three children in our yard where we could watch them grow. We tended them carefully, watering them during the long, hot months. This spring, our young pear tree was covered in white blooms, like a bride on her wedding day. All those white blooms dropped away in days, covering the ground like a veil, before they blew away on the wind, and became part of the earth again.

white blossoms drifting

petals falling to the earth

nourishing our soil

The heart-shaped leaves budded and turned emerald green soon after. Our tree produced oxygen and shade all summer long, and it grew a few inches in height and width every month of the summer. Today, I could see that several hard frosts had taken their toll. The leaves had turned a rainbow of colors: yellow, orange, red, purple with darker spots of indigo. A closer view revealed small brown fruit only as big as my fingernail. Even the squirrels have not harvested these vestigial pear, although the squirrels were pleased to eat our jack o’lanterns.

Halloween is past

squirrels have nibbled their repast

pumpkins are tasty

We would rather eat pumpkin than those tiny, rudimentary pear treats, too. Only a faery could love those tiny vestigial pears. I hope the fae harvest them, and serve them at a harvest dance, perhaps taking the leaves to make splendid gowns. I like to imagine them squeezing the pear juice into an acorn cup and drinking the nectar under the twinkling stars while the pipers play a reel.

faeries dance and smile

starlight washing cares away

sipping pear nectar

Copyright 2013 Brenda Davis Harsham

Prepared for the weekly ligo haibun challenge, the prompt this week being faery, which I could not resist! 🙂

54 thoughts on “Pear Tree HaĪbun”

  2. Brenda, thank you for stopping by again and liking one of my posts. I truly appreciate it, and the support you have given me. As always when I read one of your posts I am fascinated by the beauty of the plants you put on display or the words to your lovely poems. Please take care, Bill

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    • Celestial Elf, I liked your spell to protect the green wood very much. I love the wild places. I hope we can drive out the poisons and disease from our trees. Did you do the animation yourself? What a great script for it, too. And I loved the voice, was that you? Thanks for sharing. Warmly, Brenda

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  6. a beautiful thing to plant a young tree and watch it grow – a blessing that your children will remember fondly. i love the way your haiku weaves so naturally in your tale. very enjoyable ☺

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  10. Dang it all Brenda, I just love your words! Magic does seem to infuse them! A wonderful haibun and all fairies taking the time to read this one – will agree with me, most fulsomely! 🙂 xo

    with affection,
    Penny

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    • Oh, my, Penny, what delicious words you’ve left me. Like a cognac-infused chocolate-layered sin-cake. My ego will feast and grow fat! Best to feed these scrumptious words to the fairies with their pear nectar! Warmly, Brenda

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  11. Like you I planted two ornamental palms , one for my son and the other for my daughter back home. I am wondering wether anyone waters them? This is the first time I came across someone who did the same thing.

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    • Thanks for your kind words. I wouldn’t worry about your tree. Trees know what to do. They put down their roots, and really don’t look for much from us. Take care, Brenda

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  13. Lovely. I wish them a wonderful harvest – And perhaps someday to drink pear wine with you!
    I actually have a silver maple that my younger son planted from a seed from one of the silver maples already in our yard.
    It’s in a spot that gets water easily and I think it is almost as tall as the other two maples. It is over fifteen years old. 🙂

    I’m not sure of all the details, but funerals were never my favorite ceremonies. Everyone deals differently. I suspect though that my character will find her mother’s board …eventually. 🙂

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    • It’s wonderful that your son planted a silver maple. My son wants to plant a maple, but I’m afraid we don’t have room for one of those, too. Do you find characters nudge at you? If you do, perhaps you character might find her board… 🙂 You are the best judge of that, though. Thanks for commenting! Brenda

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  19. As always beautifully written.
    Just add one more thing, apart from being very thoughtful from your part by planting 3 trees for each of your kids,(wish my mother done something like that, although I probably don´t deserve it) you can say that trees can resemble children, humans, since you watch them grow, the leaves fall, they change colour, my hair is falling and is also changing to a white colour in some parts.

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    • Yes, I thought my children would really like to see them grow, and unlike a pet, they don’t die too soon. My hair is turning white as well, but I’m still strong and able, as you must be. 🙂

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        • If you want to be. No one is born a superhero, they take it on. 🙂 If you see yourself as strong and able, you will be. I could view myself as disabled and useless after I ruptured a disc and had back surgery. One leg is still numb. But I view myself as strong and able, and I am. I’m going out to walk and see the beautiful world now. I hope you do the same, friend.

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  20. Hi Brenda – don’t forget that your trees are using up all that dreadful carbon dioxide and saving the planet too!

    I love planting trees – it’s just that you need loads of space to have more than one or two.

    Beautiful imagery to go with beautiful images – I knew I was going to find that here – but it is still delights.

    David

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    • Yeah, all my plants do use up those bad chemicals! Good point! Thanks for commenting, and what a kind comment it is! I’m glad you find delights on my site. 🙂 Have a great weekend! Warmly, Brenda

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    • Thank you, friend. I read this to my son and daughter and my daughter wanted me to write something immediately about her tree, a weeping cherry. 🙂 It’s on my list. 🙂

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    • Thanks! This particular form is the haibun, meant to be prose followed by haiku, and I’m so pleased you felt my effort was seamless, it is not easy to write these. I’m learning as I go, and I feel a bit like a bird on the edge of the nest, flapping and flapping, but not sure I’m ready to plunge off the edge yet. 🙂

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  24. I can just imagine those fairies drinking their pear juice! 😉 Such a good idea to plant trees for your children. It’s the kind of teaching that boring nature lessons in school can never match. Reality in your own garden is so much richer! Well, I hope you get really big pears on that tree one day soon! 😀

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    • 🙂 I would love to eat the pears from my own garden, and if I had known that before I bought it, I would not have bought an ornamental. LOL I knew I could not eat that much fruit, though. I’m only good to eat one or two pear a year. 🙂

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    • Kathy, long time, no hear! Thanks for commenting! All the best to you and yours, too. I bet NH is amazing right now, if the leaves have not all fallen. Warmly, Brenda

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