Apple Tree

Apple Tree

A year before the wedding we planted an apple tree.

Immediate returns. We had an abundance of apples the following harvest.

This year, a year into marriage, the fruits are diseased.

I didn’t water the tree or plant a garden,

or spend much time in the yard that felt over-grown.

I stayed instead in public cafes and parks.

In air-conditioned rooms of friends with espresso machines.

Anywhere but home.

Where a daunting list of things to do, laundry to fold,

closets that needed organizing,

and a diseased apple tree,

felt too much to face.