A Green Sour Orange.... Poem by RIC BASTASA

first i get an orange
a green orange, the young one
sour, but still
citrus, not pungent
but inviting, not a cure for the
wound, not easing,
it penetrates pain and
makes it more painful,

then i cut the orange,
press it
and press it some more
to get all its juices....

i do not drink it
i leave it in the glass
for all those dark nights

till every juice dries,
till what you see and feel
is the same
emptiness....