Sweet Citrus

Cassidy Krisman

Sweet citrus fruits graze my lips

But all I feel is a stinging burn as the acidic juice clings to my horrible words.

 

I cannot yet taste the delicious saccharine flavors.

I wish I did – trust me. 

 

But somehow, I have always been much more drawn to the temperamental fruits.

Those that bruise under the weight of heavy fingertips. 

Those that look perfect on the outside, 

only to be sliced open and met with rotting gore. 

 

And I get weird looks when I select these over “safer” options. 

But these are the only risks I ever take,

so they don’t need to understand. I wish they did. Kind of – because

I also like having this to myself.