Poem December 26, 2011 Issue

Fruit of the month

Tom Asher

In January, with slight sadness,
The last tasty mandarin from our little tree
is plucked.
But then, with a smile, I recall the ample
navel oranges,
Weighing down the citrus tree by the back fence.
In mid-May our cherry tree is filled with fruit,
Sweet, shiny, purple, plenteous!
Cherries are followed by bite-sized blueberries.
Sprinkling a handful on cereal, a quiet morning joy.
In summer, the efforts of our two peach trees,
Find their way onto neighbors’ tables.
Tomatoes with fun names like Early Girl,
And Jet Setter, are harvested twice weekly.
Until . . . the frosts of November arrive.
However . . . before Christmas, the mandarins
are back!
It all makes me remember that good is perennial.
Supply may alter in form, but never really departs.
Change need not be synonymous with sadness
or loss.
Ever-fresh life and continuous opportunity are the produce of God.
Perhaps this is why Scripture portrays divinity as “the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month.” *