Today is an orange

Today is an orange

Sweet and tasting of the sun

I rub it between my hands and it’s skin stains mine

The citrus sprays onto my face

I’m tired.

Who else loves the birds like you?

I thought it was because they fly

But you said it was because of when they fall

When they’re young

And jumping out of the nest is only natural

I pull apart today

And place the segments side by side

The skin in the top left corner

Of my wooden palm

I was always a table

Drawing graphs and measuring

Glass beakers still sit over my skin

Leaving marks from condensation

All the parts of us that you separated

Now the moon is full

Like the eggs you cared for so carefully

When their mother flew into the underside of a truck

One day it will break open

But I don’t want to think that far ahead

Because if I do, I’ll fall out of this nest that we built

Breaking apart into segments

Of all the places I’ve been without you

And the only thing I’ll have left is skin

Orange and wooden