Apple of Promise - Fruit of Financial Power

One of my earliest memories is from when I was just five years old—the day my parents, immigrants from Jamaica, bought their first home. I can still feel the excitement and the scent of freshly turned soil as we stood in the backyard, exploring what was now ours. My father reached up into the branches of an apple tree and plucked a single apple, then rubbed it on his sleeve until it shone. He took a bite and smiled, his eyes reflecting both pride and relief. That moment was simple, but it was sacred—it represented everything my parents had worked and sacrificed for.

That apple became more than fruit to me. It symbolized the fulfillment of a promise—the promise of America, of opportunity, and of the belief that if you work hard, you can rise, build, and belong. It was the embodiment of self-sufficiency, of turning dreams into reality. That image lived quietly in me for years until, one day, it emerged in the form of my poem “Apple of Promise.”

In the poem, the apple weaves together layers of meaning—biblical, personal, and universal. From Eve’s temptation to David’s prayer for God to keep him "as the apple of his eye", to the old proverb that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” the apple has always carried complex symbolism. But in my father’s hands, it became something different. It became a symbol of ownership, both literal and spiritual. When he took that first bite, it was as though he was claiming his place in a world that had once seemed just beyond reach.

That moment planted a seed in me about the importance of claiming our own lives. The poem’s closing line—“Own your own, don’t just subsist”—is more than a reflection on property ownership. It’s a call to every person, especially every woman, to stand firmly in the truth of who they are. It’s about building not just houses, but lives and legacies grounded in purpose and pride.

“Apple of Promise” reminds me that fulfillment isn’t handed to us; it’s cultivated. It grows from faith, from persistence, from daring to dream. For me, that apple is still feeding me today—not with sweetness on the tongue, but with nourishment for the soul. It’s a reminder that hope fulfilled is the sweetest fruit of all.

And that’s what my poetry seeks to do—to feed the soul. “Apple of Promise” is just one of many poems in my collection This Is Where I Find Myself that help women trust their inner voice, remember their strength, and confidently live a life of their choosing. Each poem is a mirror, a moment of recognition, an invitation to reclaim your power and your promise.

✨ Discover your own “apple of promise.”
Explore This Is Where I Find Myself—available now at sonyakayblakegallery.com—and let these poems remind you of what’s possible when you believe in yourself and the life you’re meant to live.