Autumn Ode to an Acorn
by Heather Lobe Johnson
AUTUMN ODE TO AN ACORN
I.
I hold a universe in the palm of my hand.
Seed? Tree? Forest?
Roots? Leaves? Branches?
Wood? Kindling? Warmth?
Paper? Book? Library?
A table? A bed? A home?
What will you be, oh acorn?
II.
When I was a small girl, my grandparents’ yard was full of oak trees. In fall, their back deck was covered
in a solid layer of tiny, capped brown nuts. The scattered floor of acorns made the squirrels go wild. So
my grandmother gave me a small task.
“I will pay you one penny for every acorn you pick up in this bucket. See how many you can collect.”
A penny for each small wonder, each universe.
I collected seven hundred worlds—seven hundred possibilities. And my little girl self was delighted by
the important task accomplished, seven dollars later.
III.
An acorn takes months to mature—sometimes up to two years. But when the pericarp shell cracks open
and sprouts, the story really begins.
The oldest oak tree in the world is over one thousand years old in Oxfordshire. The trees in my
grandparents’ New Jersey back yard by the creek were probably only a few decades old. But we loved
their strength, with our rope swing tied to its strongest branch and the thousands of acorns below our
swinging feet.
As I mature, I wonder if I am more like the acorn, enclosed with possibility, or growing to be more
like the rooted oak. I am maturing. From little girl with the bucket, to the cracked open one, to the strong,
solid self that can hold the weight of my children and generations to come.
Oh, universe in my hand, what will you become? What will I become?
HEATHER LOBE JOHNSON
Heather Lobe Johnson is a writer, artist, and worship leader who believes God can redeem the most broken parts of our stories. Heather has published pieces with (in)courage and The Way Back to Ourselves, leads monthly poetry challenges on Instagram @loved_letters_, and is working on her first poetry book, Take These Ashes.
Heather loves spending Saturday mornings at home with French-pressed coffee in the mountains of Roanoke, Virginia, where she and her two boys live. She would love to connect with you on Instagram @heatherlobejohnson where she frequently shares poetry and prayers.