we find them low along the bank
mottled gray and yellow
dangling in late August
like forgotten lanterns
swaying in trees
I snap open my penknife
score the skin along its seam
fruit flares open
gold as a candle
flickering in church
seeds slide from pulp
slick as river stones
we both know
tomorrow you leave
where I cannot follow
I split the fruit
hand you half
juice runs bright
warm across your fingers
the last gift I can offer
the Lehigh drifts on
indifferent
while black seeds
cool in my palm
heavy as the silence between us
Baskin Cooper is an award-winning poet, visual artist, and multidisciplinary creator based in Chatham County, North Carolina. His work spans poetry, songwriting, sculpture, screenwriting, and voice acting, weaving together visual, narrative, and musical elements. He holds a PhD in psychology and previously lived in Cork, Ireland, experiences that often shape his explorations of folklore, lyricism, and personal history. His poems have appeared in Verse-Virtual, ONE ART: A Journal of Poetry, Ink & Oak Lit, and others. His debut collection, The Space Between Branches, is currently seeking publication.