#GloPoWriMo #NaPoWriMo Day 24 ...................................... i like her apples

'The Verdigris Farm', Lisa Yuskavage ©

i like her apples 


the cat on her lap 
the tap on the shoulder 
when it is time to peel skin 
she said she liked the pink lady 
and i like granny smiths and honeycrisps 
we would relish when it was autumn 
the hudson valley rife with summer leaving, deep hay smell 
a tannin rich rise, death and decay sweetening every pot 
whether a chicken it gots or not 
we had an old orchard, we'd visit, in a pilgrimage every year 
when the children all had returned to school 
when the air was still summery 
but the light angles began to deepen 
knives in eyes, things cling squinting 
we'd pick, slinking odd gaits 
between the trees 
finding the steps between fallen angels  
were filled with bees 
what do they think 
i imagine as they drink from the fermenting apples 
strewn around the base of this gnarled insistence 
year to year blush bloom bounty 
do they bees have AA or is this their time 
to shine with the lampshade vine 
not sure that is relevant she says and pick away we do 
she said she liked how every apple in the sunlight 
has a cool side of the pillow 
and that stopped me, as i had realized 
the simple brilliance of her statement, immediately 
but didn't cross into its realm perspective until hearing her words 
and i told her so ... she smiled, told me time 
is merely moments we signal fire our soul with 
pies on the sill, peeling like we do, big bowls 
on the counter, canning jars 
big boil pots, jazz and coffee too 
i told her apples were my favorite 
she said she knew 
because i was 
always bent 
rooting, for the crone 


EJR ©