Tanka by Malcolm Law

Springtime in the Garden

Daffodils under

Weeping willow tree surround

Dead stump of apple

Willow sheds tears for the one

Who once stood where he now stands

The honeysuckle

Hides the nest of a blackbird

They perch on the bench

And sing before flying to

Safety from prowling white cat

This spring is quiet

The children have flown the nest

But the birds still sing

And the honeysuckle climbs

The wall to an empty room

I remember them

The parents in the garden

Helping to cut down

The old fallen apple tree

They too are a memory