In Praise of Persimmon
Caleb Johnson
Imagine my thrill
a persimmon tree
so near home.
Then my dismay
as the fruit rotted
on slender branches.
Bite dusky flesh,
spit it unchewed
onto the ground.
The texture potato,
not tomato.
Our son makes a game
smashing fetid fruit
into the sidewalk,
gumming his shoes.
Drunk on rosy odor,
macerated remains,
exquisite decay,
yellow jackets
swarming our feet.
About the Author
Caleb Johnson is the author of the novel Treeborne (Picador), which was named an honorable mention for the Southern Book Prize. He has been featured on the Emmy Award-winning television show TrueSouth. His poetry has been published in Appalachian Journal, Birmingham Poetry Review, and elsewhere. His nonfiction appears widely in magazines and newspapers, and has been cited in Best American Essays. Caleb lives in Boone, N.C. and teaches creative writing at Appalachian State University.