Disappointment is a Cheap Mandarin Orange
Hard little seeds of regret, slippery and elusive,
that you swallow by mistake.
White webs of membrane memories
that smother sweetness
with pithy pathos.
Leathery armoured skin that clings
and tears the tender flesh with every tug
towards freedom.
And the flesh, vivid hued yet vapid,
with pockets of wincing sourness.
And amongst it all the occasional
sweet tang, a state of grace that reminds you
that the orange is still worth tasting.
#152
Linda Studley 