Pomegranate

witches’ tools, wooden bin
stiffly         forgiving
each fingerprint dent
a whisper— Change

What is it, Mommy?
Put that back. We don’t need it.

who am I to digest the indigestible?

the negative of a baseball glove
weighty and mad
red leather, once burnished
abandoned to rain

penance requires research
Joy of Cooking:
“In the water,
the light rind
and pith will float
and the heavy seeds sink.”

scored and tattered, an interior skin
organ casing honeycombed to rubies
red delight         scarlet disgust
spiraling inward
familiar as bone

Laura Patterson