Survive Me, but Forget Me Not
At the wall corner a young papaya seedling
Grew so fast every day almost to the seeing
At first I took it a grass to be
barely could clutch my lower knee
Halloween saw it mark my naval over
New Year’s day it got round my shoulder
Three months into March, it did march
Waywardly, spread well overhead like an arch
Lily-like flowers began to bud from its armpit
Alas! We left school for quarantine just at it
How I miss you, you childhood friend of mine
I’ll miss your flowering and fruiting prime
While you enjoy a fast growing summer time hot
No grass, a tree you stand perennial, but I’m not