Orange
by Evelyn Kelly
when you have pressed on
through thistle
pulled thorns from wool socks
flicked ticks from fingertips
sweating through old clothes
until they cling to your limbs
breathlessly
when you have found coldness
of the refreshing kind
leaves above your head
turning blue as they unwind
beginning to sound like waves
and rocking like tethered ships
joyously
when you have discovered pockets
in the forest’s primavera coat
where sun streams pool
and store honey air
and ghost leaves flicker
across your open palms
elusive phantoms moving
shamelessly
when you have looked back and begun
to know pieces of this wilderness
the row of tall pine trees
lining the daily Via Crucis
a slow gentle lull into
cloistered home
when you have peeled orange from bag
thick skin from sectioned center
one by one packed petals
placed simply on your tongue
burst forth as shooting stars
yes this citrus is sweeter
savored here