Tell me again

about the man

with the pear tree

who lost his wife

after fifty-six years of marriage

and how he had that old gnarled tree

in his backyard, and that that tree

doesn’t know when enough is enough.

That last month

he had to prop the poor thing’s branches up

with two-by-fours

it was so laden with fruit, &

how he gave you a bagful of those pears

and their scent filled the car,

even with the window rolled down.

Julia Klatt Singer is the poet in residence at Grace Nursery School. She is the co-author of Twelve Branches: Stories from Saint Paul and author of four books of poetry. Her most recent, Elemental, has audio poems at OpenKIM (openkim.org). She’s co-written songs with composers Craig Carnahan, Jocelyn Hagen, and Tim Takach.

Art By:

Immanuel Bratzel is an artist who lives and works in Lowertown in Saint Paul.

Tell me again

Support Our Work