Jennifer Lange, Fabled Treasures

muneer abbas

plastic wrapped apricots

You are tough like apricot candies.
Stuck to my teeth, in my
molars where my crown lays.
where I became child-king
and an embellished silver centerpiece.
So while I chew on you, I
am reminded of Arabic. How
you make me chew harder on
the letters when they leave my lips,
lips covered in sticky sap so that
I cannot bear to kiss you again.
And fruity! But not like how honey
and jams are sweet, but how the skin
in between grapefruit stings,
how pomegranate seeds remain after.
So each time I unravel plastic,
I uncover something else,
in the delicate ways you have formed
to make something delicious,
until I am sick from sugar.


__________

About the author

Muneer Abbas (he/him) is a student in his last year at the University of North Texas, studying English with a focus on creative writing. He serves as the poetry editor for the university literary magazine. His work has been featured previously in the New Croton Review, and he is always eager to immerse himself in poetry publication. After graduation, he hopes to pursue teaching at the secondary level, inspiring the coming generations of writers.