Oak Traitor
written by: Michael Ball
@whirred
Betrayed by an acorn,
let us mourn its ingratitude.
Scooping ripe and brown bunches
of quercus oak nuts off the ground
does not often lead to baby trees.
Brainless fruits in cupules
require much and offer no thanks.
They germinate best after overwintering
and being well washed by many rains.
Legless, still and vulnerable
acorns are prey for squirrels, ‘possums,
birds and wild pigs (where available).
Planting them in pots and tending the soil
surely deserve a reward.
From a tiny acorn…
In their ingratitude and
lack of self-preservation,
humble oak nuts differ little from humans.
Acorns have more excuse.
Michael Ball scrambled from daily and weekly papers through business and technical pubs. Satisfaction and feeling like a writer came through blogging and podcasting, mostly political. Born in OK and raised in rural WV, he became more citified in Manhattan and Boston. He joined the Hyde Park Poets Workshop two years ago, and will never again write a manual or help system. He has moderate success placing poems in print and online.
Latest posts by Michael Ball (see all)
- Betrayal - September 10, 2024
- Granddad’s Gift - June 15, 2024
- Circles Everywhere - April 19, 2024
