Hoa sua

It was the middle of September
and the hoa sua trees had begun to bloom —
and to give off one of the most sublime scents in town

Each tree had its own schedule,
some would begin to bloom in September
and others in October,
and whenever he noticed
that a new tree had begun to bloom,
the cyclo driver would alter
one of his routes to include it

He would pass by each tree at least once a day
and pause for a moment or two
to breathe in its fragrance
before continuing on his way,
pedaling slowly
down the tree-lined streets of Ha Noi

♫ ♫ ♫