‘Salmon Skin’ and Other Poetry by Adam Sedia

.

Salmon Skin

_Laid temptingly
Upon a china dish,
_Poached perfectly,
A long, pink flank of fish.

_Its scents amaze.
Fork poised to dig right in,
_I stop and gaze,
Fixated on its skin:

_Smooth gradient
From silver-white to black
_Of radiant
Small mirrors shining back

_The candles’ light,
Mosaic tiles arrayed
_From dark to bright;
Sleek, dazzling texture made—

_Deft work!—by nature,
Art crafted to adorn
_One nameless creature
Of billions water-borne

_And so arrayed.
It hid its charms, submerged.
_Trapped, killed, fileted,
It flaunts them now emerged,

_Destined for me
And my admiring sight—
_But fleetingly,
To vanish with each bite!

.

.

Bananas

Youth languished in the bunch,
Hard, immature, and green;
Unyielding to the touch
And tasting far too keen.

Adulthood shines bright yellow;
Now yields, smooth, soft to chew,
Now tastes sweet, rich, and mellow,
Acceptable to you—

Pleasing enough to buy;
To peel, cut, smash, and slice;
To fill your whip-topped pie,
Or swathe in fire or ice.

Survivors languish, brown,
Their flesh a formless mash,
Their flavor broken down,
Fit only for the trash.

.

.

Adam Sedia (b. 1984) lives in his native Northwest Indiana and practices law as a civil and appellate litigator. He has published four books of poetry and his poems, essays, and fiction have appeared in various literary journals. He is also a composer, and his musical works may be heard on his YouTube channel.