Lemon Tree

A tree that grew in the Garden of Eden a tree of innocence called the Tree of Good and Evil. It was harmless as opposites are in balance. It was also tasteless, the taste of innocence before it is betrayed. When God removed the wall he gave the lemon thorns and bitterness because it had no hostility. It is a taste we want most to subdue. It asks to be left alone. We use it with fish and tea. We sugar it. Look out the window. It stands with a donkey’s stance, hoping the day will pass. Its scent through the curtains cuts through mustiness, sharp with sweet blossoms. It hides the smell of new babies.