On the first weekend of summer,
go to Safeway and buy the biggest
watermelon they have, far more
than a single person could ever eat.
While at the store, also buy
aluminum foil, barbecue tongs,
onions and a bag of cookies.
People who live alone need a lot of
sweets. At home, place the melon
in a cool, dark spot perhaps on a
tile counter far under the cupboards
where it will not roll away and
smash on the floor. Eat the cookies.
Decide not to cut open the melon
that day since you are now
sugared-out. On Monday, begin
your usual work-week blur of
commuting, take-out meals, and
falling asleep in front of the TV.
The following Saturday, notice that
the melon has begun to sag on the
counter and that it’s time to
consider throwing it out rather than
eating it. But after a week at work,
the weekend is your time and
clean-up can wait. In two more
weeks the wine will be ready. You
will slip on water in the kitchen
that will seem syrupy. You will
notice for the first time, since there
has been no one else to notice, that
your apartment smells like a
combination of rubbing alcohol
and Clorox. There is a slight
sweetness to the air but only in the
way that rubber is sometimes kind
of sweet. If you follow the syrup
on the floor, it will lead to a puddle
below the counter where you will
find the melon again behind cereal
boxes and an empty frozen french
fry bag. Within the barely intact
green skin of the melon, under the
cloud of fruit flies, there will still
be a half gallon or more of
watermelon wine. Harvesting is an
art, for the melon will now burst at
the lightest touch. And since the
wine can only be fermented in
solitude, it is best enjoyed alone.
Linked to dVerse OpenLinkNight #250
Jedediah Smith 
Very confident and original write, I thought Jedediah – I shall be back for more…
Thanks very much!
This is such a fresh perspective on use of language and imagery in a poem .. I love the intricate details here especially; “Harvesting is an art, for the melon will now burst at the lightest touch.” You inspire me! ❤️
Very, very kind words. I tend to get overly ornate, and this was a way for me to strip the language down to plain speech.
You had me until the cloud of fruit flies and it explodes if you touch it. Isn’t there a different way without those two things? Vivid writing, Jedediah!
I only made it once, so I had to stick with that experience. Thanks for reading!
🙂 Ah! You are welcome.
What a process Jed! Whew!! Rubbing alcohol, Clorox, and fruit flies — think I’ll pass… 🙂
Wise choice. Thanks for reading!
I like the last two lines about fermentation in solitude.
Thanks Frank
What an interesting wine process. I so enjoyed this one. Thanks for sharing.
And thank you for hosting
Living alone has its own challenges (and secrets) (K)
Absolutely. Thanks for reading!