Last month, Pancouver published Cathy Xinman’s poem “Late Cherry Blossoms” to mark the beginning of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. Today, as a bookend, we’re publishing another poem by her entitled “The Limits and Treasures of Time – Cherry Blossoms”. It explores the tension between earthly attachment and spiritual freedom—a timeless theme in high literature and philosophy. The title signals a philosophical inquiry.
“The Limits and Treasures of Time – Cherry Blossoms” turns inward, moving from longing to meaning, from loss to light. It also includes East Asian philosophical themes such as Wabi-Sabi, which emerged from tea ceremony aesthetics that embrace rustic pottery, asymmetry, and reverence for the ephemeral ritual.
The Limits and Treasures of Time – Cherry Blossoms
The sunlight has been touched,
held gently in the arms of cherry blossoms,
flickering in and out of view,
like a doorbell startling a lonely soul.
To love you – is to awaken sorrow.
How can I block the road ahead?
If my sensitivity were stripped away,
my love would be extraordinary.
I dare not even say “I love you.”
You’re timid as a mouse –
even the birds are chirping,
mocking me.
But for myself – I reply:
I can’t tolerate the birds’ ignorance.
How can I endure such a prison of love?
How can I blame feelings stirred by imagination?
Cherry blossoms, you hold infinite potential,
teasing my spirit.
I can’t accept
that even spring can’t preserve your character.
Have mercy on me.
Lovers must always face the limits of time.
I know how important it is
to admit one’s insignificance.
Rushing through life,
Even farewell kisses face trials.
Between us persists
a conversation full of silences.
Even the least forgivable spring rain
drizzles on and on,
constantly threatening to destroy you.
Delicate, fragile, kind cherry blossoms –
you never shut your doors,
never abandon your grand ideals.
How resounding objective reality can be!
I’ve learned to praise
how meaningful such an exit can be.
I must be treasuring today.
I must be learning
how to live as an ordinary human being.
I can’t set aside my need to protect myself.
I might have fallen into anxiety about the end.
I can’t fall in love with you.
We can’t be lovers.
I must be strong.
I have several suns that understand me.
What they represent – salvation
burns with tenacity,
holds firm meaning.
When they arrive,
they enjoy challenging what I whisper to the cherry blossoms in secret.
Even the birds can’t resist reading it.
Now you have a hymn –
the birds dare ignore copyright and sing aloud.
I care about the sun,
about seeking something higher.
We’ve never thought to stop.
We pursue endlessly.
I call for love.
Eternity –
my love for you must be said.
Cathy Xinman’s English-language collection is entitled Where You Love Yourself. Find it on Amazon. The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 26 until April 28. Follow Pancouver on Instagram @PancouverMedia and on Bluesky @pancouver.
