Julie Ellinger Hunt’s most recent poem to appear here was Original Composition, published in June 2011 as part of Contributor Series 9: If Men Had Ears. This poem really shows off her skill with humor. And her ability to transform a mundane moment into a work of art.
Fruit Flies
By Julie Ellinger Hunt
By Julie Ellinger Hunt
Interim food lies on
counter tops
ripens for my sons
as they prefer it
soft and sweet
like their own faces
when they aren’t
causing trouble
bought on Tuesday–
now Thursday evening,
fond of the appropriate
smell,
ready to be cut up
or eaten whole
or dressed up in
salad
I approach the melon,
nectarines and figs
with a large knife,
growing more eager
to tear them limb
to seeds,
and
pull apart their
flesh,
yummy defeat
I am sure to achieve
Then, when I’m in
my stance
and my carving skills
aligned just so,
the fruit flies
swarm around my hands
like mad drones
in protection mode.
And like the typical
girl I am, I drop the knife
and scream,
never mind the fact
that they are
smaller than a pin’s head
their significance
to me is enough
to turn me off
and make me throw
in the proverbial
towel
walk away
and let the fruit flies
have their fun
Nice! This reminds me of days when I was a child and our family got together on Sundays.
Julie, you do an excellent job of capturing the moment. Looking forward to more.