Tuesday, March 24, 2009

& what to do with these found hours?

Dear Grapefruit,

I'm sorry & I'm not sorry.  I was seduced.  I enjoyed being seduced.  The being. Yes. The seduction. Oh yes!  It's just that they were everywhere.  Oranges.  They showed up on blogs, on TV, in the film of my life that is playing inside of my head, & finally on the street.  I heard a whisper.  I stopped.  I stared. I stared long & hard & then longingly.  The man. He gave me a bag. So what could I do.  8 for $2.  Chinatown cheap.  That night my roommate & I stood around peeling & mouthing & swallowing.  It's true grapefruit.  I left the house today with $8.  I was going back for more.  I wanted to juice them.  To drain them & discard them. To look in my trashcan & see it filled with lifeless oranges.  Really it was all for you, I think.  But the orange guy wasn't on the corner.  So I did what I should have done.  I bought two grapefruit.  I named them grape and fruit.  I think grape had something to say, but the throat is deaf.  I'll be nicer next time my loves I promise.

4 comments:

Molly Gaudry said...

I love this, esp. "So what could I do. 8 for $2."

steven karl said...

Thanks & it's true. The deals in Chinatown are so good that I find myself buying tofu and/or fresh noodles when I don't even them them!

Molly Gaudry said...

I'm a little terrified of dead animals and animal parts (birds especially), so I got a bit of a shock when I got here.

I clicked the link (hoping for a happy explanation -- "sleeping birdies," maybe), saw those elephant feet, and ran right back here to shake it off.

*shudder*
*heebie jeebies*

Issues, yes. I know.

steven karl said...

ah... yes, it is a photo collection of what's in the attic and basement of the American Natural History Museum. The colors and compositions really arrested me, but yes lots and lots of taxidermy.

Don't worry you won't find many dead animals on post.