APPLESEED

POETRY Gigi Guizado

Nettie and I walk and talk where trees line both sides of the street

Black tar long-since poured has cracks where the roots are stored

Paradise is delineated The line dotted and faded snakes through

Citizens take sides over what color to paint it Sheet white or Totec yellow?

Nettie asks, “Tia, how do you straddle this tiresome road?” Baggage from both sides is a heavy load

I sprinkle seeds along the way so Nettie’s mind grows wide as her roots

to bear nourishing fruit one day Long after I’m gone she can pass it on

Help others like sister Lisi to breathe freely Thick skin doesn’t let bigotry sink in

Variety of color adds to our beauty like the bark of a Eucalyptus tree

We climb a wise old Oak with thick branches low and wide extending its canopy to shade as far as the other side

There we sit sneakers dangling enjoying the perfect view “This is mi estrella,” I said, “and it is yours too”

Our vantage point between the earth and sky allows us see beyond the line

And know we come from a dirt path leading all the way back to Arkansas Black Lined with enough fruit for all to dine As much Negra de Arkansas as Macintosh