Sonnet for a lesson learned
william joel
The difference between friendship and love
is how much you can hurt each other”
- Ashleigh Brilliant
While peeling back an orange skin I know
no more or less than when the flesh was whole.
When squeezed, the peel coats fingers with a snow
of fragrant oil reminding me my goal
still waits. I pull the inner flesh apart
and place a sugared slice into my mouth
to suck on juices, sweet yet slightly tart,
as when you kissed me, sitting on the couch,
before you whispered there was someone else.
The orange liqueur burns my tongue, the way
your words had seared my soul, and left red welts
that time might heal, but never go away,
for once you've tasted pain it's hard to know
which fruit to eat and which to answer no.
All things are connected. That’s the premise of everything William J. Joel does. Each of Mr. Joel’s interests informs each other. Mr. Joel has been teaching computer science since 1983 and has been a writer even longer. His works have recently appeared in Common Ground Review, DASH Literary Journal, The Blend International, Liminality, and North Dakota Quarterly.