can you help me
my neighbor asked
for his tree had grown too tall
he could not reach
the upper branches
where the fruit
grew ripe and delicious
 

gladly I offered
to ascend his ladder
and climbed onto his pergola
carefully I balanced
so not to fall
securing the plums
in a basket
 

in return for this kindness
he offered me handfuls
of the plums I had just picked
their skin highlighted
from days in the sun
and the amber flesh looking
so juicy and precious
 

I selected one
and savored the nectar
its taste reminded me
of heaven home comfort
and summer days of youth
where a girl and a boy
played chase in the woods
and shared heated kisses
in the moonlight
and how we dreamed
of a better world
free of all its sadness
I sighed, 
 

my lips brought me back
into today standing
beside my neighbors
plum tree, wondering
how this plum survived
from the pecking birds
and gusty winds
to arrive so fresh
so sweet and delicious
and carried those memories
in its precious nectar