Sharing an Orange

by Michelle Shelfer

He hands me the other half,

his lips taut, wet, cheeks full,

and leaves me to open the segments

like a prayer book.

Each page yields itself

in spray and glisten,

turning until turning reveals

a hidden thing, a babe blanchette,

where mother tucked her child from discovery—

infant orange bit curled against the white veins

and found.

And eaten, yes, though

sweetness stained by dark interior alarm:

another wetness, another shiny hidden prince,

another swallowed flame.

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Michelle Shelfer, alongside her husband, Jerry, operates a non-profit called Prepare a Room Ministries, which seeks to help those hurt by abortion and the culture of death. She is an editor, animator, artist, poet, and author. She has been published in Ekstasis. Her poetic themes often center around motherhood and motherly loss. She can be found at michelleshelfer.substack.com/ and on social media at @preparearoom.