It's Still Life

BACK WHEN: SIDE OF THE ROAD MEMORIES

Back in the day when I was young,
climbing trees held no fear in me,
back when a Sunday ride in the car
after church was more than tradition,
back when Dad would stop the car
by the side of the road and disappear

into the underbrush and overgrowth,
or sometimes just turn his back on us,
and then do a small wiggle and shake
(and return to the car with a much
improved disposition),
when back in the day Dad would point
at our old apple tree and say,

“Pick me an apple way up
at the tip-top of that limb,” and
my long strong legs would amble me
up to a ripe sun-soaked apple,
while Dad watched from below.
“Grab two”, he’d say, “one for you, too.”

And to this day, I’ve never bit into
an apple that tasted better than the
ones that Dad sent me chasing after.

©️ Misky 2019. Poetic Bloomings Memoir Chapbook “Best Moment”