EGGPLANTS
We start as purple stars in a deepgreen firmament,swell into fullness
as the summer sun fills July
afternoons, then blooms white hot,
washing the blue right out of the sky.
Cradle us in the palm of your hand,
solid and fleshy, glossy as satin,
as we pull our black silk slips
over ample curves, rounded hips.
We spring from the dirt in greenness,
we return in dust or compost, but oh!
What a lovely dance there is in between,
bobbing on spiky stems in the hot wind,
our wine-dark skin hot to the touch.
Come sway with us, in the dark.
~Barbara Crooker
