Apple Thoughts - Benjamin Ruzala
I took a walk into a wood,
And badly bored I went and gave,
A red delicious-looking fruit,
An apple hanging from a tree,
The grand ability to think,
and hear and see and talk to me.
“Hello there apple red and bright.
Your branch and nature’s yellow light;
They seem to be treating you right?”
I’m unsure
“And that to me is just absurd!
In love with sweet and singing birds?”
I think I might,
But I don’t know
“Are not the loving leaves a sight?
Are not the flowers quite the show?”
Maybe, Though I can’t move, I can’t explore
“And that for you I can disprove!
I promise I can show you more.”
So then I went and plucked her off,
And lightly dropped her on the ground,
And then she rolled with faintest sound.
“Now how about the grass and dirt?”
I think it’s fine, But I don’t know what to do
“Such types of foolish thought are mine,
Confessed, I’ve felt that feeling too,
But apple there is much to do!
And I’ve allowed it, you can know.
So please just show some gratitude.”
And while the apple didn’t speak,
A deer came over, from a creek,
Who, (why not?), I will name him John,
And bit a little bit of her,
Before he stood up and moved on.
A part of me’s missing,
What’s happened?
“My Apple, do not go hissing,
You’re red delicious and for them,
For food, on you, they can depend.”
I did not know I was red, or that I was delicious, or that I was for them.
“You’re like a blanket to a bed!
Otherwise would be suspicious,
It’s not that you are just for them,
They are for you too, don’t you know?
They spread your seeds? Make more of you?
Just one of nature’s constant needs,”
I didn’t know I had seeds,
That they need to be spread,
“Stupid apple, things need to feed,
If not: your siblings and seeds die,
Everything would just be dead,”
I didn’t know I was supposed to make more,
Red apples, But I wonder about being blue, yellow, or maybe purple
“Well clearly I’ve taken what’s best of you, you irritating apple,
I thought of all this you’d be loving
So I’ll let you stop thinking and seeing and taking,
And just return to being nothing.”
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Benjamin is a UAlbany Senior English Major, he loves to read anyone’s work, and it was his main reason for wanting to be an intern and editor for ARCH. He likes to write poetry more than prose and the main topic that he often finds himself writing about is bugs.