Because it is fall in New England, because apples are ripe on branches, plucked from boughs, bought at farm stands, found in fields, stores and our baskets, gathered in pies and pails, our mouths and root cellars of memory, apples were the theme of the writing prompt I gave my Wednesday morning writing workshop.

As I handed round the apple diagram, we realized with delight that one of us had serendipitously brought a container of sliced apple, so we all took a bite from the fruit being passed.

Then, together aloud, we read Kim Rosen's chapter introduction, “Invitation," from her book, Saved by a Poem,   where she reprints Derek Walcott's poem, “Love after Love,” about finding yourself

Then, I gave everyone this apple diagram, and asked them to use the markers, pen, crayons and color, draw and write on the apple of their own desire - why are you here? why have you made this time for yourself for two and a half hours every Wednesday morning, this time to be present in this room with this group of women, to gather and listen to and share your heart's desire and write?

Then we nourished each other by sharing the free write/first drafts generated from the seeds of our paper apples, our fruitful words, our juicy spirits.