Two Nectarines

For Barbara

all she did was put
a couple of nectarines
into my pack

I was there when she bought a bag of nectarines
from the fruitstand
she gave me one and it was so delicious
I made myself take a long time to eat it
careful bites, the juice ran down my chin and hands anyway

sometimes I have to bite upwards with my lower teeth
they're not my original, real teeth
and tend to move around my mouth
luckily I can joke about my body's slow decline
it's the price of all the years and worth it
though now I know I could have taken better care
of myself

worth it because whatever happpened
brought me here
to the marketplace in the sun
four or five different kinds of music
mixing it up in the air
hundreds of little kids
every one of them beautiful
no matter my sarcastic remarks
so much to see, so much to eat

and all that love
I can only think I must deserve it
but it isn't really what I think about
I think about nothing

I am embraced by such good fortune
and best of all, love
so that when my back is turned
and I can't even see her radiant face
she opens my pack
and puts in
two nectarines