Lamenting on Lemons
There is a lemon tree in our backyard.
Two, in fact.
Last year I had enough to make
A dozen jars of Lemon-Basil marmalade
And give them as gifts for Christmas.
Because when Life gives you lemons,
You make marmalade.
This year, there was supposed to be more money
So I could give more than jars,
And travel to new places.
Money to make even more of life.
But there isn’t.
And there are reasons and no reason for that.
I am looking to the lemon trees.
It’s November.
I only just noticed that there are hardly any.
Not nearly enough for marmalade
The one tree offers half a dozen acne-pocked lemons
Loosely held in leafy fingers
Threatening to toss them to the ground.
The other bore no fruit at all.
I see why Jesus cursed the fig tree.
What happens when Life won’t even give you lemons?
What do you make then?
-FHB
Positively Ridiculous 