(I had a discussion with novelist Elizabeth Crook, who informed me that “tump” is one of those Texas words I thought everyone knew, as in, “My boat tumped over.” If you don’t know the word, you should. Everyone needs strong one-syllable words. Like this one.)
Tump
Found a “Tump Me” sign on my apple cart.
I didn’t put it there. Not sure
who did, unless it was the apple cart,
no longer willing to carry apples.
The sign lay sideways on the ground along with the tumped
apples all over the street,
where hungry children grabbed them.
Ate the evidence.
I grabbed the handles. Righted the traitor cart.
It can’t run, only tump.
And the trees are
everfull.
