Welcome to “Poetry at The Arts Fuse.” A new poem every Thursday

Ode on the Flat Peach

Doughnut peach, Saturn peach,
Java peach though it probably has
its origin in China—known there
as the coiled peach—traded to

the Mideast or else native to Persia
where, in the tenth century, al-Biruni
described a peach shaped as though
crushed on both ends by a spatula.

Here in Cassis, fresh from the farmer’s
market, one ripens in my mouth: red
juice dripping from my lips and hand.
In this summer heat where everything

tastes sweeter against the salty sea air,
I feast on it down to its hazelnut-sized pit
and wonder: will eating it grant me
eternal life as it did for Wukong? If

eternity lives in each relished
moment, haven’t I tasted it as I savor
the succulence of this peach?

Sharon Dolin is the author of seven poetry books, most recently Imperfect Present; a memoir entitled Hitchcock Blonde; and two books of translation, most recently Late to the House of Words: Selected Poems by Gemma Gorga. Her new book of translations of Gemma Gorga, Voyage to the Center, will be published in 2027. Dolin is Associate Editor of Barrow Street Press and teaches poetry workshops in New York City. https://sharondolin.com

Note: Hey poets! We seek submissions of excellent poetry from across the length and breadth of contemporary poetics. See submission guidelines here. The arbiter of the feature is the magazine’s poetry editor, John Mulrooney.

— Arts Fuse editor Bill Marx