i climb high on the tree of insight
and find the fruit is rotten
oh, the many branches i have broken getting up here
they jut out sharp and twisted
daring me to climb back down

from here i see you in the fields
standing in the swaying grasses
that bloom by the river
i cannot remember why, or what
possessed me to climb all the way up here

i climb high on the tree of reason
and find the fruit is tasteless
oh, in spite of all i eat i still feel the gnaw of hunger
what good is all this i’ve known
when i’m too weak to move at all?

from here i see you in the fields
picking petals off the flowers
that bloom by the river
i cannot remember why, or what
possessed me to climb all the way up here

i climb high on the tree of immortality
and find the fruit is poison
oh, the twisted thorns of irony cut so sweet and painful
i bite, and bitter, sticky juice
runs down my face and hands

i swallow and i fall
i never feel the impact

i dream of you in the fields
that lie by the river

09/25/2001

Posted on 09/25/2001
Copyright © 2025 Richard Paez