South to south and further south
to reach the most southerly apple trees
close to the chill breeze
of an ice-melting world,
a last green garden before
the uninviting frozen continent,
a small fruitful island after

heartache and disappointment
set in around the tender springtime blooms
before so many
inevitable betrayals,
a long way from dry white grass
or the loneliness of crowded cities,
an island mapped by childhood’s dreams.