so many acorns

We could point our attention anywhere – summer leaning
into its most ambitious month, the evenings an eruption of fireflies.
A hilltop climb in a nearby town opens into a view that could double
for Tuscany, and the ice cream stand on the way back home could elicit a brief, dreamy
wonder – two teens at the helm, their elbows maneuvering through tubs of caramel swirl.
And yet, despite the signs pointing toward abundance, we keep listing toward any proof
of fallowness, like jilted lovers raking their wounds to build a deeper scar,
no matter that loss has already tenderized their skin. We ravage the fields
of their unfolding fruit, picking everything before its time, out of fear there won’t ever
be enough, while in the shade of a neglected oak, you’ve never seen so many acorns.

Maya Stein

Maya Stein is a Ninja poet, writing guide, and creative adventuress. She has kept a weekly short-form poetry practice, “10-line Tuesday” since 2005, and facilitates writing workshops in person and online. After a 7-year stint in suburban New Jersey, she is now happily ensconced in the wilds of mid-coast Maine, in a house named Toad Hall. Connect with her at mayastein.com. (Photo by Chris Battaglia)

See more content by Maya Stein →