Pruning the peach tree

 
The annual pruning -
It's a chore I hate
but a reflective ritual I love,
Trimming away the past year's excess
to make room for this year's growth
 
The precarious ladder makes it terrifying,
as do the decisions.
 
Dead branches are easy, obvious -
joyless things that serve no one.
But those living, thriving shoots -
heading off in exciting directions,
manic pursuits that suck energy
from the core purpose and goal –
they hurt, and I'm always sorry.
 
It takes longer than I expect
to discern the best,
weigh the potential,
and let go of the good  
which spreads too thin the effort
to become
all this tree was made to be