They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away,

but when I eat apples, my hyper-sensitive stomach

churns, and makes noises much like the jets

that fly over my house and drown out

the very important thing someone said on the phone,

or on the news, or in the movie, which irritates me

because I can’t hear as it is, having suffered

severe ear infections as a child, so I stupidly smile

at loud parties in response to anything, praying

someone didn’t just tell me their dog died

because I know how devastating that is,

but animals and people die all the time

no matter how many apples they ate

so what’s the point, except that apples

are so sweet and juicy and crunchy,

and Dutch Apple Pies are my favorite,

so I guess the point is to eat the apples

because you’re going to hurt in this life,

important words will go unheard and unsaid,

and everything you love will die,

so why not have just a little bit of deliciousness

every day, even if your stupid sensitive stomach

riots violently against it.



Lisa Lerma Weber lives in San Diego where there are breweries on every corner. Her words and photography have appeared in print and online. She is a prose editor for Versification. Follow her on Twitter @LisaLermaWeber