Greenish-yellow, odd-shaped as all pears are
subtle shadings of light and dark as I turn it
short brown stem
typical weird brown thing on the other end, I don't know the name

Up closer, the bumps and bruises and scratches
become visible,
an unhealthy brown against the yellow-green
Even pears don't have easy, unscathed lives, it seems

The whole skin is speckled
slightly, that is,
just tiny dots everywhere,
splattered bits of pigment
even on the bruises,
like pores
Is that what they are?
Odd to think of them like that
This pear was alive, at one point

That thought would almost make me feel bad
about eating it later,
if I didn't know it would taste so good,
bruises and all

01/14/2003

Author's Note: An experiment with looking at an object from a closer-than-everyday view.

Posted on 01/17/2003
Copyright © 2025 Amanda J Cobb