Perfect Orange

By Ching-In Chen

For Rick and Stephanie

Because today our hands unravel a perfect orange
we each left our homes
drank ripening light before boarding
put our hands together into red soil

we each left home
to place new juice in our mouths
put our hands together into red soil
kept our eyes open for tiny seeds

unfamiliar juice in our mouths
each season we unlatched door
eyes open for tiny seeds signaling first growth
kept away wilder foraging creatures

each season unlatching door                                   and because windows kept their promise to open
ripening light before boarding                    sun did indeed round out
foraging creature feeding grass                                            sky no longer called out      private song
our mouths welcome            smooth rind singing sweet
                                                                                          juice in our mouths