The things we leave undone

The Muse Letter No. 12

For weeks I’ve been smelling the fresh elderflower blossoms on my walks. Waiting for the right moment to cut some off, leave them in water, boil with sugar and in the end have something of early summer to keep when autumn and winter arrive. 

I reminded myself to buy lemons, oranges and limes for flavour, to keep some mason jars for storage: I had it all planned. And then one week passed and another, I needed to buy a pack of sugar. I didn’t have the lemons. It was raining a lot, washing away the pale yellow dust from the blossoms. 

Now, I have four lemons, three oranges and a lime staring at me with regret: All the elderflowers are long gone. Fallen from the trees and bushes. It’s too late.