Rosy red apples gleaming
little girl stretched out
on little toes
reaching for the fruit too high up.
back then,
dreams were so simple
to achieve
and to fail-
did she reach the apple
or not?
But now
it’s so much harder
and the little girl with the apple
is buried deeper
as simplicity falls away
like the leftover apples
after the frost
now the dreams are complicated
hung on a tree orchards away
and too often depend on decisions of others
so the cautious side is tucked away from most
and the secure side is emphasized
to show the world
why the little girl
should accomplish her goals
the nervous, unsure side is hidden
and the optimistic side is accentuated
to show the world
that it can depend on her
even when she’s unsure that she can depend on herself
but even though her little toes have grown longer
they haven’t stopped stretching
for the apple,
and someday, those sunny afternoons
will be hers once more