Cider

"Enclosure XI," by Frances Ryan

Cider

One red leaf on the granny smith tree
and this is the voice of the coming cold
trembling in its throat A murmur
An admission The need to tell
is bright red An ember behind the teeth
Apple skin shrapnel prodding the gums
to spit out the flesh of that fruit
There are times to be unreasonable
and those that announce the zoo is closing
in an hour The apple-flooded orchard
is now closing and all children must squirrel
their parents home

[Image above by Frances Ryan]