I wonder what it would be like to be a Johnny Appleseed,
getting a name in history just for walking the roads and
dressing quaint and
throwing your apple seeds about.
Who decides who the heroes are?
I throw apple cores out the windows of my vehicle all the time,
into the soft ditches of the roads
where I like to imagine them being found and savored
by the birds and little mammals and things
and I always hope the people in the vehicle behind me know
that it’s organic and not trash
but I’m sure they don’t.
I guess theoretically an apple tree could sprout there,
but nobody names me Shari Applecore and writes me into the history books.
Sometimes being a hero looks different
than I thought.
Harder. Easier.
Less glam. More filling.
What’s your superpower?
I eat apples
and throw the cores around.
Love the new theme & layout!
“Who decides who the heroes are?” – so good! There’s this strange balance where as humans it feels like we need heroes, someone to look up to and revere. Yet in some way every hero except Jesus is not a real person but really an exaggeration of their strengths and downplaying their weaknesses. Were you thinking about the statues when you wrote this?
I am usually thinking about the statues. 🙂
xo
So happy to hear from you again, Shari!
I think of you oftener than you know. But I think of you. I love this poem, to start again. An intersection is as good a place as any to throw an apple core, you know. When I throw apple cores out my window, I hope the same thing you do.
What kind was your last one? I used to love Gala, and then Honeycrisp, but recently I tasted a new kind that I don’t even remember the name of so that I can get some more if I want. My orchardist friend says they’re all good, and she eats from them lavishly and leaves great chunks behind for the little mammals and things.
My favorite of late is Ginger Gold. The texture and flavor are extraordinary. But Gala is my fallback. I think of you too, often, and always with love. ❤️
I throw my apple cores about too. And hope that the people around me understand and are kind.
Lol.. Shari Applecore😂 if it would make you feel heroic to be called Shari Applecore I’d be happy to oblige you!
I too would call you Shari Applecore if that would help you feel a hero. 😆
So, so good to have you back! (But I can’t bring myself to pitch apple cores, at least not in North America. Littering was a spankable offense in my childhood, and old habits die hard.)
I love your new layout and blog name. I love apples and I made two delicious apple cakes recently that I think I may bake one for Thanksgiving. My super power is I can spend hours studying my Bible and then I realize I haven’t made dinner yet!
Glad to see you post! Reread your book again. Love it so much.
I love that you’re back! (In one week, my two favorite bloggers have begun writing again!) It’s so good to read your words again. Your theme alone gives me much to think about.
I appreciated the reminders of the importance of heroes. Especially in the supposedly non-important ways.
I join you in the tossing of cores and hoping I can be someone’s hero in some way.
“Sometimes being a hero looks different than I thought.”
This statement caught me.
About apple cores–I read something once that gave me a new thought on the subject. It probably came from a wildlife rehab connection. That person said if you throw out an apple core and a mouse comes to eat the seeds, then a hawk or an owl may come after the mouse and have a collision with a vehicle because it is so close to the road. I wouldn’t have thought of that angle on my own. But it does give one reason not to throw them out even if they are biodegradable.
Superpower? I’m not sure what mine is, but probably, it’s being a third culture kid.
Also, I throw apple cores around too and hope the same things as you.
When I saw you on Sunday, I thought to myself, “I miss reading her blog posts. I hope she posts again soon.” And then today I checked my email and…voila! 🙂 Maybe my superpower is pulling writers from blogging hibernations. 😉 Although I see now that this was posted before Sunday. 😀 Bummer.
Oh, I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you’re writing and posting again. 💛 Someday we need to sit down for a long chat. I’ll bring the apples.
Thanks for sharing your words with us Shari. I too worry about the people behind me. And also hope the core lands in the ditch and not on the road. 😮 glad to know I’m not alone😅