Talent is like an olive tree
on a suburban street corner,
scattering its fruit on rocky ground.
Yes, there’s a risk of tripping
on dropped drupes rolling
across the sidewalk, yet still
passersby admire its gnarled
trunk and white blossoms
with golden hearts, abundant
foliage, the cool comfort
of its spreading shade,
and imagine all the feasts
these wonders may adorn.
They envisage gleaming jars
of preserved delights or oils
anointing the faces of saints.
Producing better in the poorest soil,
the plant grows in any terrain
surviving drought, but its fruit,
before curing with lye or brine
and the passage of time, remains
inedible, bitter flesh on a stone,
impenetrable, a pitfall,
an attractive nuisance
if left untended.
Inspired by a dVerse prompt.
Love your unique take on the challenge … the olive tree!!! Well done!!!
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Very interesting metaphor. And I think I learned something about how the olive grows from your illustration.
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Beautiful poem.
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Very well written!
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I definitely learned something about olives here. We need to tend to ourselves carefully is a message I received here. Olives can be a hazard on the sidewalk, or something truly delicious. An original piece! 💖
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Thank you.
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Welcome! 🌺
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So many ways to enjoy an olive tree, including in a poem.
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I love the metaphor, and the idea of talent untended as an attractive nuisance. 🙂
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Oh so true! A spectacular simile for talent, and what it may produce if properly nurtured.
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Thank you!
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[…] tradition taught me that I should simultaneously devote my life to humble service, develop my talents, not let my right hand know what my left was doing (when giving) and “not keep my light under a […]
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” a pitfall, an attractive nuisance,”.. yes! This is incredibly potent 💝💝
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Thank you!
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