Tangerine

by PEARL REAGLER

When I was a child, you were thirty
And ate a tangerine while looking into my eyes
Your lips moved over the skin and
Your tongue caressed the bitter folds and
Your teeth scraped at the tender flesh inside

As you raised a brow at me
The sea of citrus parted
And flowed into your mouth
The round seeds of your pupils
Dug into the dirt of my iris
A shared moment thrust into my lap as
I walked past you in my thin swimsuit
And held my spine tight to my back
So you wouldn’t reach out for it.

When I think of you now I fantasize
About beating you to death.
I want to lift your chin up
With my palm, your face a purple river,
Swelling shut.

Pearl Reagler is a senior at the Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas. Most of the time she likes to write fiction and screenplays. She also enjoys photography and film. She also likes ice cream and long runs. She will attend the North Carolina School of the Arts in the fall.