The Thief’s Apple

Sia Moon - Young Writers Series

when i was younger i hopped from riverbank to slippery riverbank to pick (steal) crab apples from the tree of my grandmother’s neighbor and before that i plucked ripe satsumas from the green-stemmed tower in my aunt’s yard everyday i grow younger than i am now and i often indulge in picking fruit: gooseberries pierce and split the very tip of my tongue on the daily this is why i say i grow younger though my red lips are obliterated by the sour fruit i do not lose hope i consider myself lucky for not many find the strength to slip on wet riverbanks or compromise the safety of their tender tongues in search of sweet crop