The Orange Tree

by Tiana Minks

The Orange Tree

Do you know the orange tree,

sitting in the grove?

Walk the pathways in between

and sit beneath the shade.

Pull up past the iron fence.

Open the garage.

Notice all the gravity

that’s sleeping in your bones.

When you wake, you’ll zombie-walk

out into the world.

Disregard depravity

and just get on your phone.

Do you know the orange tree,

reaching for the sky?

Like the sunset, mimic it,

and reach for what it holds.

Drive without the radio,

slow, because of fog.

See the sign say, “Coming Soon.”

Feel numb instead of new.

Let the minutes break the skin,

gunshot with no sound.

Leave the room with exit wounds

and say, “Good, how are you?”

Do you know the orange tree,

aglow beneath the moon?

Let its fruit replenish you

and glow when morning comes.

When the dark returns to you,

crashing like a wave,

or silent in a stinging rain,

you will know its name.

When it fills the edges in,

you may ask, “What’s wrong with me?”

But go back to the orange tree,

and get down on your knees.

Even waters black as space

can be made to form a star,

So, fastened to the tree are

five petals white and small.

Despite the wind, the roots remain.

The branches stretch above the sun.

Yes, fastened to the orange tree,

the end of night will come.

Tiana Minks is an AP Psychology instructor and Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment-certified educational therapist. Personally, she is an artist (through writing, film photography, graphic design, etc.), creating only because she is inspired by her Creator. Her love for writing is tied to her love for psychology, both beginning at a young age. Earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology, Tiana is passionate about mental health advocacy and pursues this along with her master’s in education. She is grateful to those who advocate for her and encourage her to create, including her family, her fiancé, and her former teacher, Kimberly Phinney.