Alligator Jade

 

Spilt into two identical haves,

the avocado’s buttery flesh,

as ripe as Inanna’s pregnant belly, rests

encased in verdant-green elephant skin,

ready to dip with fish & chips

while tipping pints & flinging arrows

at Dick Turpin’s Front Street tavern

where spiritual Canterbury travellers

gather & exchange twisted tales

gleaned from tent Vancouver city sages,

paper bag pubs & iPhone apps,

revering the alligator-pear with equal

appreciation, eating it quickly before

the mature fruit begins to brown, leaving

only a large pit to pierce with toothpicks,

place in water, plant as a new tree.

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Sterling Warner is an award-winning, author, poet, and English Professor. His works have appeared in literary magazines, and anthologies including Trouvaille Review, and Danse Macabre. His poetry/fiction collections include Rags & Feathers, Edges, Serpent’s Tooth, Flytraps (2022), and Masques: Flash Fiction & Short Stories. Currently, Warner writes, hosts 'virtual' poetry readings, and enjoys retirement. 

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