Between the thought and the action falls the shadow. Between the wild and the built rises the fence. I have made walls, robust, secure structures, separating subject and object, good and evil. They say good fences, good neighbours make: this is mine, and that is yours. But here is a branch, heavy with fruit, that penetrates and overhangs my stern, geometrical garden. If I tend the pleading limb, keep it free of scab and canker, surely the apples are mine when they fall. How I yearn for this creeping emissary from the outside world!
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Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Neil MacDonald Author 
Some like this branch obey no fences!
What we decide to do with the fruits is totally up to us 🙂
When my neighbour’s papayas & bananas chose to fall into our backyard & on our terrace, I gathered them and handed them over 🙂
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Thanks, Anita
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Your poetic side is certainly to the fore in this piece. I can see it laid out, line by line, as a poem – and the notion of a geometric garden’s style being ‘stern’ is right on the money.
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Thanks so much, Jilly, You’re right, This is either a narrative poem or a poetic story
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An emissary that might bring neighbours together perhaps, for a kinder world rather than a segregated one?
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That’s a distinct possibility. By the way, I wasn’t able to post on your site. This is what I would have said “Seems the mother is no less harsh than the punishing father”
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Thanks Neil, not sure why you couldn’t publish, others seems to be able to.
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There’s neither rhyme nor reason why WordPress won’t work on different sites for different users. I’ve been having to log into WordPress for every site I visit in recent weeks, but today, though I could comment, it simply wouldn’t send my comment.
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I’m glad to know it’s not just me having this problem, Sandra
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Plants, trees and flowers are no respecters of borders, aesthetics or personal preference, I like it that way though. Sorry if you eventually get 20 or so comments from me, I’ve been trying all day to comment on wordpress sites to no avail and have now switched to a different browser.
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Thanks, Sandra, I just got the one. I’m having trouble with wordpress sites too
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Fences are for people. Nature has very few boundaries–mountain ranges, oceans, deserts. People don’t always respect nature’s boundaries, though 🙂
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That is well said, Linda
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Nature doesn’t listen to fences. Well done.
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Thanks so much
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Neil, I love this as metaphor. In the real world, once the tree limb crosses the property line it becomes the problem/harvest (depending on how you look at it) of the property it is hanging over. May the MC enjoy many crunchy bites and/or quarts of applesauce from the unexpected bounty.
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Thanks so much, Jade.
I have to say, I’ve been unable to post comments on your story, so here’s the comment I wanted to make “That’s as happy an ending as we could have hoped for”
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You’re welcome, and I’m sorry to hear you can’t post a comment on my story, thank you for sharing your comment here. I think you’re right.
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I say yes…the apples are yours. Nice poetic piece!
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Thanks so much
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By the way, WordPress is really playing me funny at the moment and I can’t post a reply on your site (It’s happened with several sites). This is what I would have said on your story “Fiction is stranger than truth! Nicely done”
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A very poetic, thoughtful piece.
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Great story, Neil and I suspect one of your best. Those apples are going to taste so good!
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Thank you so much, Rowena
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Nature knows no bounds. Finders keepers as they say!
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That’s true. It’s people who invent boundaries
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Beautifully written
The tiny taste of wildness, of uncontrolled growth, a hint of escape and making one’s own way in a tightly controlled world. I love it.
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The wild and the civilised, the dangerous and the safe. Thanks so much Laurie
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but of course, the apples hanging by your side of the fence is yours. 🙂
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The law may say that, but that’s not the dilemma that’s really troubling him
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A very poetic piece Neil, lovely 🙌
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Thanks so much
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Well done in exposing the reason we need fences; making up your own rules.
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You got it in one
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Nature will always claim its space.
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Even when that space is inside ourselves
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By the way, there are an increasing number of wordpress sites I’m unable to leave a comment on. I’m afraid yours is one
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Not sure what’s the issue 🤔 I couldn’t find anything in Spam or Pending approvals. Maybe it’s something to do with the subscribe pop-up? I’ve noticed that on a lot of blogs I’ve commented on recently. (My comments seem to load on clicking the X on the popup)
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Perhaps he has unwittingly imprisoned himself inside his fence, in his garden with its stern geometry. Maybe the ‘creeping emissary’ will help him to break free of its rigidity. A lovely piece.
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That is exactly what has happened, thank you, Margaret
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There are those who believe no on can own the land and then there are those who believe all is for the taking through force, bureaucracy or both. The Apple cares not where it lands or who devours it. Well told and quite poetic.
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Thanks so much
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Gripping verse, Neil! Much to think about.
I immediately thought of our neighbor who has allowed his walnut tree to grow over into our back yard. Normally, we wouldn’t mind; however, the walnuts are encased in a perfectly round shell the size and hardness of a billiard ball. My toddler granddaughter got conked on the noggin by one of those blasted nuts; a doctor in the ER said she was lucky all she sustained was an impressive bump. That was the day the errant branch came down!
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Thanks so much. And a lovely cautionary tale from you about the perils of transgressing boundaries. And talking of tales from you, this is what I tried unsuccessfully to post on your story “That plant has a rude mouth”
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Unsuccessfully? I’m reading a lot about that today. Hmm. WP gremlins?
Well, thanks! I’ll check it out. You know how plants get.
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sounds as if you’re not too happy with your self imposed isolation after all.
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It seemes to be a little less satisfying than he’d hoped
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