Peaches

A brown woven basket - old and cracked -

held soft, furry peaches:

(a shy fruit, each piece snuggling its beard into the next).

Take one, she said. Take two.

Alone at the laundromat,

I put the yellow peaches

in the dark green seat beside me (to hold -- your place).

I brought them home

and saw they were beginning to bruise.

I stood at the cutting board without any pants on

and cut them into slices,

watching the juice seep into the worn wood,

carefully examining each piece with fingers and mouth.