Psalm 1

A seed you were

A tiny dot

No colours

No textures to see

Just a minute shell on a palm to me

I planted you here and watered the soil

Until I saw you multiply and transfigure

Twins burst from your stalk

I felt those rough leaves with my fingerprints

I smelt your lemony scent

And you grew into a shrub and off I went

And now I'm here again after 29 years

Meeting an old friend

My how you've grown

Oh what a surprise

Your branches reaching to the skies

As a motley of birds take their perches

Over the tops of temples and churches

And your fragrance fills the urban air

I run my hands across your bark

You're bold and strong and tough

I wonder what stories you sing in your spirals

It's a pleasure to see what you have become