Family Fruits

By Alesha Toni

My mother packed me fruit in little boxes

For everywhere I would go

She reports how much I loved my fruit

And how adults watched in awe

At my devotion to it

I do not particularly remember eating my fruit out of these boxes

I place my love of fruit at the feet of my grandmother

My mother’s mother, whose side I sat beside

As she peeled every and any fruit I asked for

No matter how tedious the task

To this day I do not even perform such tasks for myself

But she bestowed on me the luxury

 the epitome of patience

I would sit and watch her peel my oranges, bananas, apples, grapes

Anything and everything

And if I was particularly hungry, I’d reach up and eat it right off the blade

I hadn’t considered the tremendous love I was shown through her patience

I hadn’t thought of how much even the littlest things she did for me were too 

Lessons to be followed and heard

But I do now

Now, I think I want to peel fruit for the people I love when they ask

Sit them by my side

Feed them by the edge of my blade

And be their safe space