winding tendrils
of vibrant green. leaves
checked & the dead pinched
daily. yellow flowers
worried & shaken
with electric toothbrush.
we water
wait.
lorikeets shriek
keenly from shadowed
gum trees. swallows click
& circle, their whips
twitching her leaves.
but despite our efforts
she won’t fruit
for months.
we wait
for when winter
breaks with light-
show storms. the gift
of springtime ruckus:
humid air & rain bathing
down to her roots.
