Pruning

Clipping off, cutting away
last year’s long vine, now brown
falls to the ground,
becoming mulch for this year’s
green, wandering vine,
this year’s blossoms,
this year’s fruit, at the end of summer.

Snip, snip,
down to the trunk, down to the core
of what it is to be a grape,
an apple tree,
cutting away the dead,
back to the basics,
ready for spring.

Pruners in hand
I look in the mirror
wondering
where do I need to start.

Neal Lemery, 3/2010