Olivos L Poem by Morgan Michaels

Straight from the tree
the olive is the bitterest thing
in all the earth.

I know this true.
once, long ago
in a grove of gesturing trees

I came on one
burdened with olives
gleaming and dropping in the sun.

All around, the ground
was slippery windfall-
slippery like a riverbed filled with stones

grasses grew
amongst the fallen-down fruit.
White stones peeped through the grass.

Bending down
I scooped one up-
gravely admired it,

Buffed it on my shirttail
rashly bit into it-
It was bitter, bitter!

The juice burned my tongue.
Bitterer than mustard, it was,
Bitterer than young almond

Bitterer than...