The Poetry of Mark Daniel Milbocker 
Apricot Radicchio

Why when you scrape the orange flesh from the rind
does the piccolo sweetness remain in its tidal pool
whereas a hearty bite rolls with thunders 
of sugar clouds raining nectar and 
the silver lightning of a tarty edge 
waxing yellow apple green, so begins the
appreciation of the leaf, freshly torn into
rabbit-worthy nibble bits and spun into a toss
across the purple strands wriggling with 
their brilliant white spines sparkling with
a crunch that reverberates into almost sweetness
and juicy freshness pooling across the tongue
a beautifully verdant backdrop to the tasty
nom nom toppers of diced chicken and cheddar
sprinkled into the anchovy-cream of a good caesar
the umami symphony erupts with timpanic bitters
sharply highlighting the savory flow with darker
shadows, a flourish that makes the subtle symphony?
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