The morning
rain stopped
with old Cohen are talking
pulling weeds
he straightens his back
looks at me
When I first moved in
Cohen said,
"Tenant happiness is my happiness."
everyone said,
"It is a lie."
but now they realizes
it is not a lie
until more than ten years later now
it is no longer easy to sweep the leaves
Cohen, childlike, says,
pointing to a nearly hundred year old tree,
his best friend,
on the old wood fence
"I used to climb that tree and played."
so, to appease his longing,
I point to the mulberry tree
and say, "do not cut
I ate those fruits with great pleasure."
then Cohen voice grows louder
and answers, "As a child, I played
while climbing mulberry tree
picking and eating abundant fruits
It was a lovely tree."
worry disappears from his face
"Also, when I was hungry. I climbed a mulberry tree
to drive out the birds and ate it."
I think I know
why Cohen sweeps the leaves, plucks the weeds
instead of cutting down
this, useless tree
And we start a different day.