How to peel an orange
Select your fruit carefully--
young and firm, but with some give, you should be able to plunge your greedy fingers into
its gem bright flesh. If the rind resists, simply push harder.
(Do not forget, this orange
belongs to you. It has no
say in what you do to it.)
Dig your iron tipped nails deep into its protective shell
till crescent shaped wounds mar its delicate beauty, marking
it forever as yours, yours.
Peel away its defenses
until it is open and
raw before you, all flaws and imperfections laid bare. It
would be prettier had your
clumsy hands not bruised it so, but these things cannot be helped. Be sure to cut away the
bitter pith-- oranges should be sweet and tangy, never
harsh upon your tongue. It’s far easier to remove it
entirely, than chance those
spiteful white strings getting stuck between your teeth. For it is unpalatable to you,
and your opinion is the
only one that matters here.
Finally, pare away that
fragile membrane, and let those honeyed juices run freely
down your wrist. Sink your callous canines in, and smile. It would not taste so sweet, had it not wanted you to consume it.