Harvest Time

When I first took up residence in this house

I said

this is the best house there can be

here I will raise my family

I will plant a fruit tree

I will grow apples in my garden

I will feed my apples

to my children

and to their children

when they come to visit us

at harvest time

I thought about it for many weeks

I thought about the variety I would choose

whether Adam’s Pearmain

or Pitmaston Pine Apple

Ribston Pippin

or Peasgood's Nonsuch

I thought about the best place to plant it

where I might sit in the shade of its branches

lulled by the susurration of leaves

I read books on how to keep an apple tree alive

protect it from the codling moth

and the bitter pit

while I was thinking

and choosing

and studying

my wife and I noticed that there are things

not quite so good about this house

it is very close to the neighbour’s house

there are some damp corners

the garden does not catch the sun

and is full of snails

I wondered

maybe there is a better house somewhere else

maybe we should move

I decided

I will wait

until I have found

the perfect house for my family

and then I will plant my fruit tree

then I will give apples to my children

and to my children’s children

when they visit us

at harvest time

but time is caulked up against our feet

like bitumen

and we have become busy in our staying here

waiting for our best lives

and although my wife scours the advertisers

she has not found a better house

and I have not found a better house

and I still have not planted an apple tree

and now my children have left home

and will soon have children of their own

or perhaps they never will

but I have no apples to offer