Fruit Of My Apple Tree

Fruit Of My Apple Tree
© Surazeus
2018 11 28

Since no one is trying to kill me today
I plant small seeds in moist dirt of the Earth
and wait for them to sprout in sun and rain
while I catch plump fish on the river shore.

Nearby in the reeds I hear someone sing
sorrow of their heart for the one they love,
lamenting how they had to go away
and may never return again back home.

When I walk back to the tall apple tree,
my grandfather planted long years before,
I find tall man plucking all my ripe fruit
so I explain this apple tree is mine.

He aims sharp spear and pokes it in my chest
and declares my apple tree is now his,
and threatens if I do not go away
he will stab my heart and rip out my eyes.

I labored all my life to tend this tree,
so I deserve the fruits of my own work,
but he comes along and drives me away
and eats the fruit I tended with my hands.

I hide in secret cavern on hill top
and plot how to destroy intruding thief,
watching his routine during course of time
when the sun rises and sets in blue sky.

The poisonous snake slithers from my cave,
so I hold out my wand from strong oak branch
for the snake to coil around its firm length,
then after sunset I walk to my tree.

Climbing my apple tree in clear moonlight,
I wait hidden in canopy of leaves
for dawn to gleam down from my mountain cave
where only shadows wait for my success.

When the thief arrives at my apple tree,
and reaches out his hand to pluck my fruit,
I strike the wand so the snake bites his hand,
causing him to scream in terrible pain.

Writhing in anguish under my fruit tree,
the angry thief howls curses at my face,
but shivers and stiffens at strike of death
when his spirit escapes in mindless wind.

I must forever face some hostile threat
when monster or man from arrogant greed
attempts to take control of my fruit tree,
for I must kill them or they will kill me.

I would share the fruit of my apple tree,
giving it to anyone who will ask,
but I will fight any tyrant or thief
who tries to drive me away from my tree.

Walking to the river shore at sunrise,
I find the woman who sang in the reeds
and give her fresh apple from my fruit tree,
so we feast together in warm sunlight.

Leading her to my sacred tree of fruit,
I teach her how to tend its limbs and roots,
then we sing and work together each day,
tending hundreds of trees sprouting from Earth.

Embracing her bosom, I kiss her lips,
so I can plant my seed inside her womb,
but she thrusts blade of light into my heart,
so I fall and bleed on the weeping grass.

Clutching my face, she hisses in hot rage,
"You killed my love when he returned to me,
so now I kill you in bitter revenge,
and claim this apple tree as my reward."