I can’t help but think
That the word ju-bi-lee
Sounds a lot
like ju-ju-be
Remember sitting at a tea house in Seoul?
We looked for jujube seeds
Daechu at the bottom
Of my cup like wrinkled treasure
You were uncomfortable
legs bent sideways
while we sipped through
the communal work of becoming
Taste and see
Jujube
tastes a lot
like jubilee
A seed becomes fruit
made to nourish and destress
like the work growing and piling up
then pressed into the end of an era
Bearing fruit is work
blooming takes time
does a red date grow up
just to wrinkle in the hot Asian sun?
I drank from your cup
and gave you my own
these seeds—an offering
take them in whole and receive
Taste and see
Jubilee
looks a lot
like jujubes
Oh, Tasha, now I want to taste jujubes! I love the line: bearing fruit is work, blooming takes times. Often I’m too impatient for the blooming!
Thank you, Sharla! I’ve only had them in tea. 🙂
I really appreciated this piece. Enlightening and beautifully articulated.