The Apricot & The Lemon Tree
at the edge of the village
come to an oak much older than me
that’s where I’ll seek advice
– Kit Kelen
tenant 1 planted the couple while tenant 2 and 3
nurtured their growth and here I stand, tenant 4
before their arthritic leaves & brittle branches
unlike the owl and the pussycat they are stuck
too close and deep rooted with a stubborn sense
of belonging to a land they’ve failed to interpret
once gardens were ballrooms of sweet & bitter
fruit throughout Melbourne’s Northern yards
expecting Mediterranean weather to migrate
now these replica orchards are starving for genteel
seasons, expecting to be washed with lukewarm
hose each night, even when sky drizzles or sprays
with no strength to stretch their limbs, with no
plump, sun-kissed balls of juice for birds & jam
with no smell for dressed salads or fragrant tagine
they offer a time-warp of cravings & nostalgia
in the back yard, encircled by concrete and brick
ignoring the bottlebrush with its bright red offers
by Angela Costi
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