so many acorns on the ground…
someday I’ll get to explain
these to my little boy
how they become trees
with nothing more than water
sun and a little help
from squirrels and blue jays
things about time and the
distance to the sky
and through years
how the trees will still be young
when he is old and
I am gone and there will
still be acorns on the ground
a trail of breadcrumbs
leading back to a forest where
we all grow toward the light
—
I wrote this last spring when my wife was pregnant and the ground was littered with acorns like I’ve never seen. You couldn’t walk down the street without a constant crunch-crack underfoot, and as I walked the dogs on those spring evenings, my mind was always on my soon-to-arrive son and I wondered—still do—what he’ll make of this world.
Anyway, I forgot I’d written this one and so many months later, when there aren’t so many acorns lying about, here ’tis.
James Brush is a teacher and writer who lives in Austin, TX. He tries to get outside as much as possible.
I like the ending quite a lot.
And great story.
Thank you, mark. I got your chapbook the other day–it looks good and I can’t wait to read it!
loved the piece- and loved the background story even more. I think all of us parents wonder what our kids are going to make of this world- whether there are acorns strewn all over or not.
Thanks. Anjuli, and thanks for visiting. I wonder that all the time.
I enjoyed that a lot, very evocative piece