Oranges

She found me in the kitchen

squeezing the life

out of some oranges

and wondered aloud

that perennial why

when there was juice in the fridge

I thought for awhile

my back still turned

my hands still busy

with the business

of such sweet reduction

and had a thought

It isn't the taste

or the texture

or the satisfaction of the work

it's the fact that you're here

and the perennial why

has an answer

So whatever I'm doing

I'm doing because of you

because you're here

and here is better than there

there where you used to be

you who I love or whatever

She found me in the kitchen

and squeezed life

through my midriff

squeezed love

from where her why

had opened me up