Flesh of the Fruit

The flesh of the fruit

is so much like flesh of man.

Why do they make us practice with them

over and over again? I wonder.

The skin is

soft, smooth.

Little bumps

follicles that burst with dew on incision

As does first incision of the flesh.

"Layer by layer" the surgeon tells me. "Layer by layer. No rush."

The dermis. Second layer. So white. Fleshy.

Cartilagenous

Resistant to my nails and 

Resistant to my knife

and the fruit.

The flesh within

encased in paper-thin pericardium

pericardium of the fruit

as pericardium of the heart

and the fruit. The fruit itself

the heart of the matter

so important. So sweet

that oozes and bleeds if squeezed

but carefully

oh so carefully

if I move with grace and with care

And pay attention to those that teach me

I can learn from this

orange.

This child of the great tree of nature

This life-giver of a kind

And not learn on a patient

the mistakes I surely make on her insides.