Loneliest of trees, a cherry blooms
Unseen by you whose spartan rooms
Have windows that are far too high
For views of anything but sky.

Now with your nineties in full swing,
You’ve doubtless started wondering
If last year’s rides to see spring’s glory
Were the last ones in your story.

And so you’re gamely making do
With what’s available to you:
A faded sprig from Mother’s Day;
Pink sneakers; blushing fruit puree.

*****

Melissa Balmain writes: “This poem was indeed written for my mother-in-law, the irreplaceable Anne Cilurzo FitzPatrick. She died the following winter, in 2023, after a life devoted to family, music, writing, volunteer work, and the tireless pursuit of dark chocolate. Her obituary can be found here.”

‘For My Mother-in-Law’ appears in Melissa Balmain’s third poetry collection, Satan Talks to His Therapist, available from Paul Dry Books (and from all the usual retail empires). Balmain is the editor-in-chief of Light, America’s longest-running journal of comic verse, and has been a member of the University of Rochester’s English Department since 2010.  

“plum and wall” by OiMax is licensed under CC BY 2.0.