Pear tree, (do you ever learn?)
whose petals kingly* lead their leaves,
though you might so early yearn
a March wind through your blossom breathes,
rough bees may bumble just too late,
and barren bear your autumn fate.
Now hardy dots of flies about
surely might help to fertilize;
but harder must you do without
tireless bumble's passionate eyes;
so though your buds fill out with sap,
go slowly lengthening each cap.
Leave haste for wilderness blackthorn
to chance in March late-summer sloes.
'More quick less sloe' - though so forlorn,
I'd never fill my mouth with those;
but when ripe pears might think to fall,
greedily take my fill of all.
...............
*First pear blossoms out are actually called 'King' blossoms. There is some way to go because, when the bud cap opens then a bunch of secondary buds, which hold the blossoms and leaves, appear, the King blossoms being the first to open. Last year the tree, blossoming in early April, was full of pears due to some flies and one tireless bumble bee. The year before, it blossomed right at the end of March but was barren.
