By Michele Reese
Imagine the missionary
who beheld the monkey peach,
sought to coax fuzzy skins from seeds
back home in New Zealand.
The canopy of kiwi would take years
to bloom (white flowers,
unattractive to bees).
Imagine her delight
when swollen fruit drooped
from green leaves blocking out the sky.
Michele Reese is a professor of English at the University of South Carolina Sumter. Her first book of poetry, Following Phia, was published by WordTech Editions. Her poetry has appeared in Congerieis, The Paris Review, Poet’s Lore, Smartish Pace and other literary journals.