lemons are usually symbolic
bitter/sour make it sweet
but what if I don’t want to?
lemons could never grow in my backyard.
it’s too cold in this heart of mine
for desert crops, but i can grow peaches.
lemons can be unusually symbolic
of excitement when the world blurs.
good lord, what will we do
with all these lemons? I was supposed to be out
where they came from, but now I’m stuck
pondering expensive postal fees.
lemons are excellent for meringues
custards or killer muffins
but only if you have sugar.
whip up some of this zest with poppyseeds
but only if you wash them ten times first.
these sugarless cupboards are a symbol
of control. trees bleed maple joy
in the spring and we need it now more than
ever before. let the trees bleed.
Andrea Lianne Grabowski (she/her) is a queer writer, white settler on Anishinaabe land, and recent graduate of Northwestern Michigan College. She has been on the literary staff of NMC Magazine and is editing her first novel. Find her on Twitter @pingouinwrites.