More details at Grace’s Poppies – with thanks to my friend Deb, who introduced me to this poem through the gift of a small but lovely book she made for me…
The Weight of Sweetness by Li-Young Lee
No easy thing to bear, the weight of sweetness.
Song, wisdom, sadness, joy: sweetness
equals three of any of these gravities.
See a peach bend
the branch and strain the stem until
it snaps.
Hold the peach, try the weight, sweetness
and death so round and snug
in your palm.
And, so, there is
the weight of memory.
Windblown, a rain-soaked
bough shakes, showering
the man and the boy.
They shiver in delight,
and the father lifts from his son’s cheek
one green leaf
fallen like a kiss.
The good boy hugs a bag of peaches
his father has entrusted to him.
Now he follows
his father, who carries a bagful in each arm.
See the look on the boy’s face
as his father moves
faster and farther ahead, while his own steps
flag, and his arms grow weak as he labors
under the weight of peaches.
That is a beautiful poem… I’m reallyreally enjoying reading what people have chosen to ‘read’.
Glad you’re feeling better!
That’s such a beautiful poem…it made me tear up a little. The imagery was magical.
A big thanks to you for letting others know about this. It’s a wonderful idea.
Wonderful detail in the senses – I love the description of the ‘weight’ of the peaches in the several different circumstances, and the symbolism of the fruit.
The little boy’s point-of-view at the end is truly nostalgic on my heart strings.
Hope you’re feeling better. Chaos has done a wonderful job of keeping your blog together while you recover.
Growth within growth. The peach matures becoming to heavy for the branch and the leaf falls to the boy who is maturing to become like the father ***CV
Very nice.
Lovely poem! I really liked:
“Hold the peach, try the weight, sweetness
and death so round and snug
in your palm.”
This is gorgeous on its own, but I bet it’s even more meaningful in places where peaches actually grow! (I sadly don’t have that pleasure.) I can just FEEL the water and SMELL the peaches. Mmmm. Lovely.
That’s a lovely poem. It reminded me of when my mum and I visited Weston, Missouri and picked peaches when we visited her friends.
I love “one green leaf fallen like a kiss.” Beautiful image.
I love it! Thanks for sharing.