An Apple Tree

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” -Martin Luther

I am convinced that there is no such thing as a “driven poet.” Drivenness drives the poetry out of a person’s life. And that is a very sad thing. 

If you’re in a hurry go no further, it would be a waste of your time. What follows would be just words, something to get through and move on to the next thing.

But if you have moment to slow down and take a detour and look over a wall, then move forward…

Unharvested

A scent of ripeness from over a wall.
And come to leave the routine road
And look for what had made me stall,
There sure enough was an apple tree
That had eased itself of its summer load,
And of all but its trivial foliage free,
Now breathed as light as a lady’s fan.
For there had been an apple fall
As complete as the apple had given man.
The ground was one circle of solid red.

May something go always unharvested!
May much stay out of our stated plan,
Apples or something forgotten and left,
So smelling their sweetness would be no theft.

by Robert Frost

The ONE THING for today: Being driven and focused has its place. But if that is all you are there will places you never get to go.