Gone untrimmed, when the yield came down
\nperhaps I\u2019d think that I was rich \u2013
\nbuckets and basins running over.
\nBut all would be small: small blushed skin<\/p>\n
small stiff core \u2013 maybe of no use
\nunless for pickling or stewing
\nor practising to split them open,
\nlike a clasped book, with just my hands. <\/p>\n
Twenty good apples on each good branch;
\nthe pruning shears worked in the leaves
\nanswering no and no again
\nuntil they cut away to a handful,<\/p>\n
all green, and clinging to their stems;
\nthe wind broke through the tree \u2013 and maybe
\nI left it barer than I should
\nbut this was where the thinning led: <\/p>\n
there could have been a greater haul,
\nand yes, I\u2019m sorry how it sounds
\nbut I wanted something different.
\nAnd so this is what I did.
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Thinning Apples at Ludag Gone untrimmed, when the yield came down perhaps I\u2019d think that I was rich \u2013 buckets and basins running over. But all would be small: small blushed skin small stiff core \u2013 maybe of no use unless for pickling or stewing or practising to split them open, like a clasped book, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":184,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[338,339],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n