Apple Ladder<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Slimmer than
\na lancet arch,
\nascending scant,
\ntapering, then
\njust air; and lovely
\nleaning in trees,
\nlovely leaning
\nbare by the house,
\nrungs and clapboards
\naligned, side rails
\ntense with upwardness,
\nthe stronger across
\nthe more the green
\nwood dries.<\/p>\n
And so our grasp
\nof all, our reach
\nto gather, climb
\nto view, our stand
\nabove the orchardslope
\ncould be as lovely,
\ntwined in leaves,
\ncontained as ladders
\nin themselves,
\nand light
\nas ladderwood.<\/p>\n
As if, though slung
\nwith heavy sack,
\nwe pause, don\u2019t ache
\nto put it down,
\nor press for more,
\nbut stand half-high,
\nour footings half-
\nobscured by grass,
\nat our cheeks
\nhalf-shaded curves
\nof fruit, above
\nour heads, ripe sun,
\nand crowns of more fruit hanging.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Molly Tenenbaum’s\u00a0<\/a>three poetry collections are The Cupboard Artist <\/a><\/em>(recently released from Floating Bridge Press), Now<\/a><\/em> (Bear Star Press, 2007) and By a Thread<\/a><\/em> (Van West & Co, 2000),which includes the poem “Apple Ladder.” She is also the author of three chapbooks:\u00a0Blue Willow<\/em> (Floating Bridge Press 1998), Old Voile<\/em> (New Michigan Press), and Story<\/em> (Cash Machine, 2006). Her work appears in many journals, and her honors include a Hedgebrook residency and a 2009 Washington State Artist Trust Fellowship. She\u2019s also a musician, playing Appalachian string band music; her CDs are Instead of a Pony<\/a> and Goose & Gander<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Apple Ladder Slimmer than a lancet arch, ascending scant, tapering, then just air; and lovely leaning in trees, lovely leaning bare by the house, rungs and clapboards aligned, side rails tense with upwardness, the stronger across the more the … Continue reading