7 Comments

Who could imagine such

a thing, and how shall I ever

learn to live without it again?

❤️❤️❤️

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I love this Tara, your perfect description of biting into your best-guess grocery store apple. And a memorable bit of advice from Billy Collins that good poems are not about self-expression but building something line by line for the reader.

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This poem tasted good - like that apple! Billy Collins sounds very interesting. That point about “don’t express yourself” is something I’ve been thinking about a lot recently- I’m inclined to think one’s self is always less interesting to other people, that it’s more effective to let the self emerge by implication. But I also like your point - break rules with purpose!

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I love your apple poem! I grew up in western Washington state where apples fresh from the tree are just what you describe. And yes, it is hard to call anything else an apple after that. They must be very, very fresh.

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You captured a super relatable feeling in a super great way. it reminds me of all the times I take chances and they go in my favour, but then I forget about the risk it took to get there, and decide not to take more risks. I relate to this on so many levels. it also just made me hungry :)

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"We expect this sort of excess

from a peach and feel ourselves

ill-used when we don't receive it."

I love how you've summed up that petty feeling that I often feel towards peaches--like, how dare you not be perfect?!?! Whereas I don't expect as much from an apple 😁.

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Oh, what an apple!!!

And what excellent wisdom from Mr. Collins. He's a favorite of mine, too.

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