Another Tangerine

if given another chance,
id take the orange gently from your outstretched fingers
delicately peel its skin
and pop each segment into my mouth
one by one
savoring each drop
of it's precious juice.
I'd feel satisfied and full when i was finished
and my fingernails would be stained yellow
and smell like
a tangerine

if given another chance, id test the ripeness of the orange before beginning to peel it's tough skin and drink its bitter juice
id understand why some fruit is forbidden.

when given the chance, i dove in with reckless abandon
i ripped into the skin of the sweet orange and swallowed it whole,
leaving orange juice stinging my cuts
and a pile of shredded peels
left on the table
for you to clean up.