(Pear tree blossom by Ruslan; Wikimedia Commons ; uploaded to Flickr by Pauk)
The pear tree’s blossom
seemed of little consequence
to my casual glance.
I would not have fastened it
to a love letter;
but when I scrutinised it,
I noticed something
quite remarkable, in fact:
its petals have a blush tinge,
right around the edge
and so, I then understood
why Yang Kuei’s face,
dampened with tears, was described
as a rain-streaked spray of pear.