A moon cycle after we first danced
she gives me twelve Fuji apples
and later six golden apple pears.

I'm surprised at these offerings—
Are they a curse or a blessing?
History of apples goes way back

to Eve giving Adam the apple
resulting in the Fall of Man and
expulsion from Garden of Eden.

Then there's the Apple of Discord
which Paris gave to Aphrodite
causing the Trojan War and his death.

Next we have Witch-Queen poisoning
Snow White with a red delicious apple
before she was revived by the Prince.

These evil apples caused much harm
but there are apples of blessing like
those from Garden of Hesperides

that Hercules had to obtain as
one of his twelve labors by
killing the dragon guarding it.

The Norse goddess Freyja shakes
her apple tree for a good harvest
and making the gods immortal.

King Arthur was taken by
the Triple Goddess to Avalon
"Apple-land" of eternal life.

Gypsies slice an apple traversely
to reveal the "Star of Knowledge"
pentacle found in Tarot cards.

Three apples fell from heaven
inspiring Newton's gravitation,
Beatles music and Apple Computers.

In Chinese, apple and peace
(p'ing) sound alike so giving
apples means "Peace be with you."

My favorite tale is Emerson's dream
as he floated in space and saw
Earth the size of an apple.

Then an angel brought the apple
to him saying "This must thou eat"—
and Emerson ate the world.


        Peter Y. Chou
        Mountain View, 12-30-2010