The Elder

I wait for you every year  When I see your new bright green five pronged leaves My heart rejoices Knowing that life is coming again Then your flower starts to show At first just like tiny white pimples Then exploding very quickly into a huge array of white flowers And the tinge of yellow, so creamy and rich, like magnolia  As we move into late spring and early summer, your scent dresses the very air You are ever present in the warm summer breeze So familiar and so missed We delight in eating and drinking from the flower But it’s bitter sweet I constantly check that your flowers are not yet turning to the black berries they are destined to become Because then I know that Spring  is over and summer is well advanced All the things will soon die away again Your my ever constant measuring stick of the seasons I also know we won’t meet again until next spring Where I will enjoy, and start measuring again There’s nothing I can do It’s just the way it’s going to be from now on But you are the Elder and I am grateful to your maker