There must be an explanation
scientific, or otherwise,
for why the apple tree
gnarled and bent and elderly
brings forth an edible harvest
every other year only,
and sometimes one in three.
Do some living things
keep their own schedule
for resting and renewal?
Or does the fruit depend
on some other equation:
like January frost
plus April showers
when June is hot and dry.
Last year's apples weren't worth picking
but this fall there's a bumper crop.
Every branch is weighed down so
even when the birds claim their share
there is more than enough fruit
to fill every jar I own
with sweet September applesauce.
