Apple

Image is a necklace made from a tiny spoon engraved with an image of a tree. Each of the beads on the necklace suggest an apple. Only a very few apples ever become a tree.

This is a poem I wrote in 2003.

The Tale of Apple
By R. E. Woods-Marks

Beside the barn was a tree.
Up high in the tree was Apple.
She was quite content all shiny and red.
Apple looked out over the farm.
She saw the cows grazing,
And the dogs playing.
With her were her brothers and sisters.
One by one each was picked,
Until it was just Apple up high in the tree.
Apple was still happy,
But she wondered who would pick her?
Along came a green worm,
And he ate a big hole through her.
Now Apple wasn't so shiny,
Apple was now sad.
Who would want an Apple with a hole through her?
Then along came a wind.
It knocked Apple from her branch,
And down, down she fell until she hit the ground.
Ouch! That hurt.
She bounced down the grassy hill
And landed in the pig pen.
Now Apple wasn't so red.
Apple was very sad.
She began to turn brown
And she began to get smelly,
Along came a pig,
And he took a bite out of her.
Another pig also took a bite,
Until all that was left of Apple,
Was a core.
Apple was very, very sad.
She was not pretty anymore,
Rather, she was quite ugly,
Laying there in the mud.
Who would want a brown old core?
Along came a kind Man.
He picked her up.
He held her in his warm hand,
As he carried her to his barn.
He laid Apple on his bench.
"How would you like to be My Apple?"
The Kind Man asked.
"Yes," Apple said sadly.
"Just let me take this core off of you,"
The Kind Man said.
With his fingers he picked,
The ugly brown off of her,
Until all that was left,
Was a little black seed.
Apple did not feel pretty,
Laying in the man's hand.
The Kind Man put in her a cup,
And he covered her with dirt,
Apple still felt ugly as she fell to sleep.
When Apple woke up,
She pushed her way out of the dirt.
She was all green,
With shiny leaves and a little stem.
She didn't feel ugly anymore.
The Kind Man held her in his warm hands.
He planted her,
And she grew.
Now she looked out over the farm,
And watched the cows grazing,
And the dogs playing.
The Kind Man often came,
He watered her, and sat in her shade.
Now Apple was very happy.