Apple Blossoms

A Pantoum

May 21, 1992

Apple blossoms flutter by From the orchard trees Each breath from the sky A fragrant petal breeze. From the orchard trees Bird songs fill the air A fragrant petal breeze Surrounds us everywhere. Bird songs fill the air Music and flowers of spring Surround us everywhere Pervade everything. Music and flowers of spring Give us a moment of peace Pervade everything Allow our cares to cease. Give us a moment of peace. Each breath from the sky Allows our care to cease Apple blossoms flutter by. The pantoum is a Malaysian form, popularized by Victor Hugo. The second and fourth lines of one quatrain become the first and third of the next. The last stanza uses the first and third lines of the poem, finishing with the first line.