Her silhouette tilts, limbs askew,
Trunk leaning, gnarled and knobbly,
Hollowed out from base to branches,
By feasting termites.
Gaping holes laced with cobwebs
Pepper her battered bark,
Streaming rays of sunlight in,
Through the very core of her being.
Yet she stands before me now
In a graceful side bow,
Branches laden with bountiful fruit.
I wonder at the depth and strength of her roots,
How far and wide must they reach,
These intricate, internal networks of nature,
Under soil, out of sight.
The abundance of connections they have made,
In the ecosystem of the earth, the field, the sky,
For her to weather perhaps a century of storms,
Onslaughts of drought, deer, disease.
And the hand of Grace that flows within,
Gifting ground, bird, bee, butterfly,
And all that lies in her wake.
I close my eyes and reach within,
Through my weary body, my wayward mind,
See my tangled roots, my engrained patterns,
Shackled by shame and anger,
The untrue beliefs that form their foundation.
In the quiet beyond, I too feel this flow,
The power, the wisdom, the love.
And hear a tender whisper to let go.
Such sweet surrender. What Grace would it take to
Split me open, feel the flow through my being,
Be His vessel, gift His fruit?
For now, I pick these beauties to cook and gift,
Green orbs of wonder tinged with red,
Stewed with butter and cinnamon,
In a crumble with blackberries,
And with each step along the way,
Each gentle stir, each juicy taste,
Marvel at the Grace to bear such majesty,
Give thanks for my small part in this divine play,
And yearn for more.
Such is the wisdom of this ancient apple tree.
Take a bite; a box awaits you outside my door.
Comments and contemplations welcome
Grace And Flow 
Thank you! I loved the way your poem takes me from the beauty and inate wisdom of the apple tree into my own beauty and wisdom through opening to Grace. Truly beautiful soulful journey x
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Thank you Elspeth, nature is such a beautiful reflection isn’t it. I hope you’re enjoying the apples. Much love x
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This is a gorgeous poem! The imagery is so clear and the tender feelings evoke gratitude within me. A misshapened apple tree, yet still carrying on, producing glorious fruit, nourishing body and soul with its wisdom. Thank you for writing it!
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Thank you for posting here. I’m so glad to hear these words resonated in that way. Nature is amazing isn’t it….so much gratitude when I slow down enough to really appreciate the Grace that is. Thank you!
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Chloe this poem is exquisite. Your transformation gifted by His grace is so palpable. So much love to you and thank you for sharing it.
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Thank you Colleen, it has indeed felt like a transformative time. I appreciate you bearing witness to that. We are so blessed.
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Love your descriptive imagery that elicits provocative contemplation in such a peaceful and opening way Chloe. Thank you.
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Thank you Benny….peaceful and opening….perfect.
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This is one of most faves of your poems, Chloe. Something in it touches my heart in an ancient forgotten way.
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Thank you Janet, such wisdom in trees I find, so grateful for their strength and presence in my life.
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