Make a Tree Good Make a tree good and its fruit will be good… Matthew 12:33 I I am tempted to staple a fig To the branch from which is has fallen Unburied brown in piles of failed fruit That cover the shame of shallow roots Turn the flat bruised side toward the trunk Wipe it clean and shake off the tan worm Paint it purple with faded green spots Spray it with a fruit essence perfume Keep it moist and sterile, sanitized Step further back and admire the work Because I am afraid I don’t know how To make a tree good. II Sure, why not make it good And make it well Sink the roots deep And write the plot thick Keep it secure Commercial free And incorruptible Of shade but not dark On a hill but not steep Cured and decanted Crispy With soft contours And clean lines But free flowing Fresh, fertile Intricate, durable Inspired in season With lots of pockets? That might be a harvest Worth waiting for.
Ryan Keating is a pastor, writer, winemaker and coffee roaster on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. His work can be found in publications such as Saint Katherine Review (forthcoming), Ekstasis Magazine, Agape Review, and Miras Dergi, where he is a regular contributor in English and Turkish.
Amethyst Review 