The Fig Tree

 

The Fig Tree

I bought a little 

three dollar clearance 

turkey fig twig 

from the scratch and dent 

plant cart at Home Depot 

a decade ago 

today, there is no sign 

that it was ever 

the runt of any litter -

it stands tall and yields 

an abundance of tender fruit

it simply needed time and space

and nurturing

the fig tree at Denise R’s house 

down Pinckney Colony Road

not far from Salk’s monkey farm

smelled of fermentation 

stood tall and took crews 

with ladders to pick its fruit 

I was a fig picker once at that tree

My young daughters picked

from my mother’s tree and

took to the kitchen  

making strawberry pigs 

and licking spoons 

after dipping the  

homemade preserves 

into freshly-boiled mason jars

as they canned time and memories 

in jars and sealed them tightly 

with a pop-button lid 

this once dispirited

Charlie Brown fig tree 

that stands more like 

Wonder Woman today

conjures welcome memories 

but more than that -

it beckons more 

canning of precious 

family memories 

while there is time

Monkey Farm: 

https://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-events/south-carolina-monkey-farm-helped-defeat-polio.htm