I pluck from the tree—
disregarding
a few dark spots here and there—
this is gonna be a good one.
salivating expectation
how lovely this will be
as snack, as cobbler, as ice cream.
I slice it open
to find liquid peach flesh
darkened around the stone
black frass—
as when I discover climate solutions gutted
by extreme capitalism.
secreted inside
a peach-gorged larva waves at me.
Poem by J. Maak
J. Maak is a writer and change-maker in urban Los Angeles. Her ecopoetry has appeared in Plants and Poetry Journal, Wild Roof Journal, and several other publications. She teaches environmental sustainability at a private college as well as to the general public. When not writing, she can typically be found in a garden: helping others with their vegetable plots, maintaining her own fruit trees and veggies, or watching birds and butterflies in the backyard wildlife habitat she stewards. Her work can be found through Change-Making.com/jmaak.