San Francisco, April 2006

I mailed lemons from California
the size of small heads
and wrapped most in newspaper.
But when I ran out
of newspaper
I wrapped them in plastic bags
and sealed the boxes
and lied at the post office
"Not Perishable."
and sent them off.
Now, standing at this art
museum
staring at a still life
of oranges
wrapped in tissue,
I understand why the lemons
I wrapped in plastic
went rotten
and why babies and children
mut be kept away from
plastic bags:
their small heads
the size of lemons.