I had the privilege to write alongside some very talented, young writers this week as together we tackled the prompt of a character winning something or being given something unwanted. I think some of their ideas outshone my own by far, but I decided to share my creation about a young apple tree.
Happy Wednesday!
All Youth Is Dead
The heavy limb bent from its load,
an undesired bulge of burgundy
dangling out of grasp.
The sapling had spent several summers
in the orchard alley
changing from sprout to maturity.
Breezes turned to freezes.
It had known several of those,
but never this heaviness.
Worst yet, the swell would surely spread.
First one, then many.
Followed by the hands plucking, and
forest creatures nibbling.
Oh, the dread!
Pink blossom of betrayal
which shed its petals to make way for
fated fullness never intended.
And with that, all youth is dead.
© 2022 | K.Hartless
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
nicely done Kate!💞
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Many thanks, Cindy. 😄
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Pleasure always❤️
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This is fun but also thought provoking. Such an interesting idea!
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Thank you kindly, worms. I wondered about the unwanted fruit like unexpected pregnancies, really. Can a tree have the same feelings about its reproductiveness, I wonder.
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love the word play and the unexpected turn of thought; my favourite line: ‘pink blossoms of betrayal’
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Thank you, John. It got me going to think of unwanted fruit and in relation to current events here and my young female students, it all sort of blended, so I’m glad it got somewhere in the end. 😁
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well done!
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Thank you, Beth. 😁
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A brilliant write, speaking to me of the complexities of a trees life cycle, and of the reciprocal relationship between the tree, earth, and us. Wonderful, K. 🍏💜
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Love this – that last line is fantastic
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Many thanks, JYP. 😁
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I like how you’re contemplating the full circle. Thank you for adding to this piece’s conversation. 💜
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You’re most welcome, K. Always. 💜
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This was a beautiful piece, K! Some poignant parallels with current events: the onset of maturity and all the unwanted attention from strangers, especially with the loss of innocence and agency over their own bodies. Very powerful interpretation you’ve given here ❤
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You nailed this one for me, Tom. I’m glad that message came through on some level. All my young writers are female, and I looked at them wondering about those unplanned events.
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Exactly – unless real change happens on a national level, the future looks bleak ahead. Glad so many are continuing the fight ❤
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Love this take on the prompt and the way the title weaves into the ending. ❤
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Wow this is absolutely stunning!! I got the tingles from it by the end.
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