Aptly said, he noted
No need for approval, she muttered
Looking down
Patterns on the sidewalk
Sent a message
There’s a word for that
There’s a name they give you
The wings of a bird thrummed a subtle message
The apricot tree had over the year
Produced one perfect, unfathomable fruit
Of soft baby hairs and an unassuming kernel
I don’t need to be apt for you, she said
She threw the kernel and hopscotched down the street
The apartment buildings lined like sentinels
She hopped and leaped and bent to regain the kernel
swallowing the last bit of the fruit’s sweetness
-Melanie DuBose
Melanie DuBose advocates for equity in arts education and teaches filmmaking to teenagers in East LA. Recent poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Nixes Mate Review, Neologism Poetry Journal, Red Flag Poetry Express, antinarrative journal, Right Hand Pointing/One Sentence Poems, Ekphrastic Review, and Contemporary Haibun. She once received an award from the National Weather Association for her work with children and wetland preservation.