Orange

Posted on by Live & Learn

I once watched my father peel an orange
without once removing the knife from the fruit.
He just turned and turned and turned it like a globe
being skinned. The orange peel becoming a curl,
the inside exposed and bleeding. How easily he separated
everything that protected the fruit and then passed the bowl
to my mother, dropping that skin to the floor
while the inside burst between her teeth.

~ Elizabeth Acevedo, “Things You Think While You’re Kneeling on Rice That Have Nothing to Do with Repentance” in The Poet X 

Photo: Orange Peel by Alicia D’Ors

29 thoughts on “Orange”

  5. I just finished listening to this book. Every word that was uttered (by the author) was so captivating. Thanks for the recommendation.

  6. When you first introduced us to her, I clicked on the link and read the first 45 pages in one fell swoop…. including this poem which I thought so poingnant…

    You do expand my horizons, David. Thank you so much.

  7. I like the way Elizabeth Acevedo, writes, I like being frugal & often I don’t reply with economy of words… The character of the Father was quietly, being a gentleman by peeling the orange and sharing, an act of care while his daughter soaked the exchange in …then he wasted the orange peel surrendering it to the floor! If that was an organic orange the peel could have been used to thinly julienne & candied, dried for potpourri, bent to release the fragrant volatile oil to pleasure ones nose instantly, grated, finely then mixing into a cake or cookie recipe, or put in a ziploc and transported to the hardware store to the paint area to be color matched…///the photo is yummy, the lighting and framing of subject so perfect…///We learn so much from reading and from viewing photography…btw the color orange & blue are tied for my favorite color…chartreuse & purple are tied for second place…

        1. Christie, I just did go back and THANK YOU so much for that additional gift…. there is SO much incredible talent out there. We are truly blessed to be able to share our love for and of words!

  10. I’ve read this Acevedo text a very short time ago – didn’t you post something or other with a link to a book review or something…. because I know I commented to exactly that juicy text! Or didn’t I?
    You have some very bright comments here, Dave – I mustn’t add some stupid one! They are all right.
    PS: I’m writing this after having eaten a juicy orange in the kitchen – I was so thirsty for one all of a sudden 😉

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