spearing them with their wicked beaks
but there's such a glut it doesn't matter
losing their share in the following weeks.
The garden is littered with baby apples
pushed overboard by the swelling sprays,
dessert for the resident slugs and snails
surviving the sweltering summer days.
The 'drops' I add to my compost bin -
a layer cake of everything;
the big apples will be sliced and stewed,
boxed in the freezer for winter food.