Water Rises Once More
Sipping dew to stretch out your life?
Emperor Wu tried that trick
and you know where to find him.
Meanwhile the Huai River still floods
each spring. Nothing wrong
with growing old—it sounds
like Chrysanthemum in Chinese
or used to, long ago. The water rises
once more. Watch the yellow petals
float up in your chipped cup
as you wait for your tea to cool.