When most folks see an orange tree, the fruit is what they see
They notice the nice colors, Mother Nature’s apogee
What started as a tiny seed that most folks had not seen
Has now become Earth’s bounty with its glossy leaves of green
But what will go un-noticed are the roots that help it grow
Providing needed nourishment that let its branches flow
And help the fruit develop with its juices held with in
Ready to be taken, then the process starts again
When someone comes into the rooms, amazed at what they see
A group of folks who demonstrate a real serenity
With laughter and good fellowship, prepared to lend a hand
To those who come in all alone, adrift without a plan
When members share about the way their old life’s been replaced
From one of fear and misery, their self-worth been debased
To one of peace and gratitude, for waking each new day
A clean and sober member, free from self-loathing and dismay
But what they may not see is how they worked to gain respect
The hours spent at meetings, time with sponsors on the Steps
Importance of the fellowship, a whole new group of friends
The time to look inside themselves, the need to make amends
The meetings are a seedling, they’re the way to get you started
On a journey to a better life, a path that others charted
But for these seeds to flourish and to grow the way they ought
They’ll need roots to support them or their planting comes to naught
The same holds true for people when they come into AA
The only see the benefits, the fruit is on display
What’s missing is the things it took to get the fruit to bloom
It’s all the work that went on every day outside the rooms
Starting a routine that you adhere to every day
Prayer and meditation help to fortify the way
A breakfast after meetings with a group of AA friends
Create a strong foundation that will soon pay dividends
All these things are needed to insure we stay on track
The freedom that we gained assures we keep on coming back
The work we’ve done has made us grow, we relish in the fruit
But all of this possible because we have strong roots
The Orange is a pretty sight, in there among the leaves
It’s easy to forget about the help it has received
The seed begin the process which develops into fruit
But it could have come undone without reliance on the roots
Larry R.
Early Sobriety Group 