The taste

With much anticipation
I open the container
And breathe in their sweet aroma
I rinse them off at the sink
Then shake off the excess water
Finally, I pop one into my mouth
Rolling it around for a moment
Wanting to savor this for as long as possible
Feeling the texture of its skin on my tongue
Holding it between my teeth and my tongue
Slowly, ever so slowly, I suck on it
The first taste is so...mmmmmm
I close my eyes
And pull the sweet, juicy insides out
The taste explodes
Into the corners of my mouth
I chew on the slick pulp
And swallow it seeds and all
Then I chew on the thick skin
As more juice comes out
Oh yeah, the sweetness mixes
With the tartness of the skin
I love the taste
It's a taste from childhood
Of summertime
Of hide and go seek
Of laughter
Of bare feet
Of fire flies
As I reach for another
I smile to myself at days gone by
For as long as there are muscadines
I will remember

10.11.01