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A post shared by Liza Rusalskaya Illustrator (@lizarusalskaya)

Today I walked in the forest that had become my muse during the winter months of the pandemic.

I came across my favorite inspiration, an old, wild apple tree.

I had the pleasure of watching her last apple fall in the winter. I saw her blossom in the spring with buds full of hungry bees, and today I witnessed her in full abundance of herself. Her branches were packed with fruit that would be available to feed the forest birds and animals for the summer and into the winter months.

She taught me many things last year, one of which is to be still and listen to what she has to say—the other is that life goes on.

An old, wild apple tree can still produce buckets and buckets of fruit, food for the world, she represents hope for the earth, and is a source of inspiration for creativity.

The Old, Wild Apple Tree

The path once walked

in boots through snow

begs you to turn your

sandals to the right,

toward the old, wild apple tree.

She stands complete.

Arms are laden with

more than a hundred tiny apples.

Her presence catches your breath.

She holds you

in the same way

she held you in the snow months,

when you stood,

staring at the very last winter apple,

watching it fall to the cold ground,

wondering if earth

would ever see Spring again.

For weeks,

she carried your mind

into thoughts

of life and death,

giving you the voice

to write poems

about trees and broken hearts,

even though you were afraid.

You kept your promise

to come back and see her

in the Spring

to witness her blooming

and then again

today,

to taste the sweetness

of her finely ripened fruit.

~