(for Dickie)

Forgive me as I take again
the sacrament of avocado,

which I know you find
distasteful, its texture

lining your mouth like
mushy wax. Even I

object to an unripe
specimen’s chalky taste,

and if they go bad, they
go bad, baby. So turn

your back as I peel, then
scoop the creamy innards

from this ready-to-be eaten
indulgence, not thinking

about the fact that it’s a
fruit (it contains a seed,

after all) or its good fat
and fiber and an alphabet’s

worth of vitamins, not
to mention the antioxidants

that are good for eyes
and brain. No, I’m just

anticipating the smooth
after the mashing on

a hot summer afternoon,
the first bit of green glop

in the mouth, along with
the little B vitamin glow

that comes after loading up
up a tortilla chip with fresh

guac and reintroducing it
to my eager tastebuds,

relishing the first swallow,
the holiest bit of communion

I know.