Spoiler
I
You hand me a clementine.
There is a little sticker
that I peel off and place on your hand.
II
We eat soup.
We argue about whether tomatoes
and squash are really fruits.
III
A watermelon cut sideways
into a smile with black teeth.
IV
You hand me a clementine.
As I peel it, a spray of fine mist
fills the air with a citrus aroma.
V
I am burdened with limes
from a relative’s tree.
Everyone takes some.
VI
Together, we all hunt for huckleberries
in the forested mountain
we can see from your back window.
VI
We make pots of raspberry jam
to remember summer’s sweetness
when it’s winter and we are far apart.
VIII
I find a plum tree
in the graveyard, heavy
with untouched fruit.
IX
I make cobblers,
breads, and tarts. The kitchen
is warm, our mouths
stained purple.
X
You tell me about fruits
you have eaten and fruits
you want to eat. I listen.
XI
We twist apple stem oracles.
All our swallowed seeds
have taken root. We have apple
blossoms twining through our ribs.
XII
We adore peaches
and plums. The dust we eat,
and the sweet chill of the icebox.
We mouth the words to poems
we can taste. We laugh at oranges
and are glad we exist.
XIII
You hand me a clementine
and it’s like you’ve handed me
the whole world. I hand you
a pomegranate, and hope
you feel it beating in your palm.
