She hands me the apple,
Plump and green,
I bite
Apple smell soaks the air,
**** tangy
The next apple she gives
Is red
A band of yellow
Bite
Crunch crunch
Overripe sweet
Soft and tasting of summer
The last summer
All I remember is a hospital bed
A nurse telling my mother
Critical
Goodbye great grandma
Before we leave I give an apple back
Just ripe, crunchy and sweet
The visit after she hands it back
She says, don’t forget me
And with tears in her eyes
A wrinkly hand closes around mine
I’ll see you later
No
Not ever
She replies
After she died, I tried to keep the last apple of hers
My eight year old brain not believing
I thought she would live forever
Please, mommy
Tell me I’m dreaming
I put it in the freezer
3 months later
Rotten at the core.
With a burst of disgust I throw it away
Nothing left
Nothing gold can stay

They sold her house
The apple tree,
The last apple