The Skins of Oranges

Prayer for hands in wartime.

turtle on sandy beach in nature

After every blast, the sky was obscured by dust. But look, you said to me, touching. There is an old man selling oranges. Dust in his beard, his hair, all over his coat. Look closer. See the shine of the oranges. You don’t get that, after a barrel bomb, unless you take a wet rag and polish each, one at a time.

O watching stars / O birdcall
O hands over faces/ O names

Come back. Come ever.

Come now.

Author: Stacey C. Johnson

I keep watch and listen, mostly in dark places.

One thought on “The Skins of Oranges”

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Breadcrumbs

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading