PRUNE
The Cherry Tree
We prune the cherry tree in November,
the rose bush in December.Then, I trim the bush
all year round: discarding sick leaves,
faded flowers. I cut the dried stalks.
The raspberries need extra care:
I snip and clip.
I clear the weeds so they don't
choke the delicate stems.
The fig tree captures our attention
every October, as does the pear tree.
The nut- and apple trees at Elie du Bois
are disregarded for years.
They keep producing bountiful crops.
One has been battered and bashed
by the autumn and summer storms.
The apples don't have far to drop,
The branches kiss the ground.
The roots are still firmly entrenched.
The trunk is angle-ironed.
When wind and water unleash,
The setting sun robes the clouds
and heavens with a prune hew.
©susanbauryrouchard
Toulouse April 2014
Pear Tree, Toulouse
Cherry tree, Toulouse
Rose bush, Elie du Bois, Dordogne, May 2014
On the Road, Dordogne
Cherry tree, Elie du Bois, December 2014
The Meadow, Elie du Bois