by Emma Lee
(Kyiv, December 2023)
A fir tree stands in a pot outside an apartment block,
that has one wall crumpled into rubble.
Branches have been decorated with sparkly cobwebs,
and lopsided angels made by children,
whose school is in a basement, punctuated
with sirens and air raid warnings.
Burdened, the tree pushes its roots
against the pot, seeking nutrition.
Perhaps the man who wanted to bring
some cheer will replant it later.
Or is it better to stay here, creating
memories, instead of counting absences?
Emma Lee’s publications include The Significance of a Dress (Arachne, 2020) and Ghosts in the Desert (IDP, 2015). She co-edited Over Land, Over Sea (Five Leaves, 2015), reviews for magazines and blogs at https://emmalee1.wordpress.com.
Hawaii Pacific Review 