The letter arrived

Certified

Return Receipt Requested

Harry stared at it for moment and then gave the postman his signature

Then he slit the envelope open with his pocket knife

It was from the Lemon Tree Preservation Society

His tree had met the appropriate criteria

Neglected native stock, inexcusable plant maintenance, fruit maggots

Significant fine forthcoming

He began to stew and then spew

How DARE they invade my garden, my sanctuary

These spying, worthless, public, parasitic drones…

His blood boiled

His embered, tortured face now broken

Tears began flowing and

Then became torrential, a hurricane’s blast

In a rage he stumbled to his workshop

And found the ax

Fifty years

Of peace

Fifty years

Of nothing

A taste only of the abyss

Sad compromises

Emotional scraps in return

For God’s sake what…

Lemon drops

He reached into his pocket and hurled the lemon drops

At the foul snickering tree

It was time to put an end to the charade

He raised the ax over his head and tightened his shoulders for the blow…

STOP!!

The ax fell from Harry’s hands

A shot straight through the heart

Harry dropped to his knees in stunned disbelief

The jaybirds began to scold the evening

As the azure sky began to bleed

The gathering clouds darkened and then burst

Ruby, why ?

The roaring ping of raindrops on the tin roof

Drowned his plea

For a reason

She gathered the lemons on the ground

And placed them in her bag

He felt her rain drenched hair rub against his face

As she looked him in the eyes

Just before they watched the last lemon of the season

Fall from the tree

Copyright 2009 Patrick Granfors