ODE TO THE ORANGE
“…Give us
this day
orange daylight
and every day
may mankind’s heart,
And its cluster of fruit,
Be both bitter and sweet…”
-Pablo Neruda
trans. Ken Krabbenhoft
Making Juice
by Laura WhalenMaking juice before your birthday—
ruby grapefruit, Spanish clementines,
organic tangerines from California.
And me, armed with crystal pitcher and wooden reamer.
First, cutting the perfect globes until
they shine rays of pink, orange and gold
like little suns during this dark time of year.
Their bright fire blazing with citrus sweet.
Then, squeezing out the liquid from each half,
using the fine yet simple wooden tool,
better than any electrical gadget
to fill the glass container bit by bit
until there is a ruddy pitcher full.
Placing the rind in the compost bucket
Knowing I will brave the cold moments later
To empty it on the pile out back,
food for my flowers next spring.
May these round fruits refresh and feed you,
your South American sun-starved soul, with their
distilled love of light – their sweet-sourness
flooding the dark.
An elixir, a love potion, a cold winter cure—
simply a pitcher of fresh juice to greet you
tomorrow from the cold shelf of the fridge.
Their round fruit emptied of all flesh and blood.
They gave themselves for you entirely—
as I am only learning to do…
ODA A LA NARANGA
“Anaranjada sea
la luz
de cada
dia,
y el corazon del hombre
sus racimos,
acido y dulce sea…”
-Pablo Neruda
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