Apple seed

Dear old and forgotten child, 
You must have known
when you planted the apple seed
that it would not be yours to keep
You must have known
the rings would thicken 
in their own leisure
and the apples would come
proud and blushing
but
decades from now
you must have known
that the branches would
still be too tender 
to climb when you 
grew adventurous
you must have expected this
and understood how patient
you had to be with the 
sprout then seedling then sapling
as it melted slowly towards the sky
there was no reward for you
only the constant comments
of how sickly it looked
there was no reward for you
but to watch it grow
you must have known this
as you tucked gleaming black dirt
around the smooth bark
like a scarf
you must have known this 
that nothing would bloom for you
only the visions of what it would be
for me