persimmon tree

Ariana Thornton, United States

a stranger dragged a knife
through our persimmon tree, ma’s 柿子树.

you and i squatted over / front-yard fruit splattered / over uncut grass. you cursed the vandal.
i scooped my small finger / through golden wounds / & sucked.

is it a blessing or a curse to remember
that 柿子树 with trunk sun-arched like an old
woman, the beloved pill bugs & clotted-cream petals of
my childhood?

that tree of seven virtues: longevity / large shade / free of bird nests / free of pests / frosted leaves
to play with / edible fruits / leaves broad as pages of books that rested in your china vase.

that night when it shattered: loud words & vase swept off the table by his large hand / water
spilled out like bile / my small, wet cheek pressed into the carpet, red as persimmons / 911
to your ear / rattling of car keys and closing of garage door as he fled.

in the divorce, my 柿子树 deserted
i remember you pulling up your sleeves & pant legs
showing your mottled pollen-colored skin and
all the places where he hurt you.

with my own breasts flowering / lips maturing / curves lengthening and fulling out / i wonder
what it means to be a woman

and i weep for the persimmon tree.

Evangelina Ariana Thornton is a high school sophomore attending Phillips Exeter Academy. She is an avid reader of poetry and historical fiction, has twelve years of experience in the fine arts, and is passionate about environmental activism. She writes for her school newspaper and the student-led environmental publication Ecosystemic, and her creative writings and artworks have earned regional and national Scholastic awards. Outside of class, she co-founded and leads her school's Ocean Awareness and Action Club, and enjoys drinking herbal tea in the cafeteria.