V. The Golden Apple

The Apple Zed

From “The Fruits Of Their Labours” (2014).
Copyright © 2014 by The Apple Zed. All rights reserved.

“The time has come,” the warden said, “for tomorrow, you will die
So choose your last meal. We’ll sauté anything before you fry”
I’d like a pizza, extra cheese, a good Merlot, and for dessert
The rarest fruit I ever found in all my travels on this earth

The Golden Apple

I’ll tell you of the quest to find this fruit
On which I went and on which you must go
How after years of futile pursuit
I found a secret place that few men know
High atop the slopes of Kilimanjaro

There is a cave facing the western sky
Its entrance buried underneath the snow
And as the rays of evening sun go by
The cave is lit with an unearthly glow
And on the walls, strange maps appear
That make the journey’s next step clear

And so I go! Follow the map to a
Small island in the South Pacific Sea
And down below, there is a labyrinth
Beneath the waves. Oh, how it calls to me
Hold my breath and start to swim
And let the current pull me in

Turning left and turning right
Guided by an eerie light
‘Til at last I reach the island’s core
And surface in a blue lagoon
And all around me
Trees of Golden Apples bloom