We were beautiful sunsets
even when the clouds came in.
They vibrated with a golden glow
until the orange hovered, pocked
and peeling like a Valencia between
the side of my thumb and forefinger,
a rind of sky peeking through, stippled.
The whole orb of fruit suspended
until a final tear of skin broke the day.
I think of the ripe fruit we shared
and the pith I peeled to taste
my own sweetness.
Copyright © 2026 by Kalehua Kim. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on November 6, 2026, by the Academy of American Poets.
