HOW TO EAT A COCONUT
From Rosa’s Island Home, The Dominican Republic
A Poem by Rosa Lía Gilbert
Run to the palm trees,
wherever you can find them.
Look up, up, up and make sure
they have borne children, round and hairy.
Shake the trunk, find a stick, or climb up
to where they are.
Let them freefall and kiss the dirt.
Hold one in your hand, slice off the top.
Now you kiss it, and fresh water
will coat your lips, throat, mind
to forget you ever knew thirst.
Cut it open (with a machete, of course)
right down the middle, heart exposed.
And before your first bite
take a good, long look inside
for from it flow the springs of life.
Rosa Gilbert is a stay-at-home mom and publishing assistant at Calla Press Publishing LLC. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Spanish is her first language. However, it was through learning English at a young age that she fell in love with words and poetry. She hopes to make a difference in publishing by helping faith-based writers bring their stories to life. She holds a B.S. in Journalism from Liberty University and has worked as a freelance editor for Dr. Steven J. Lawson’s OnePassion Ministries. Her poems have been published at The Way Back to Ourselves, Calla Press, and forthcoming in the Twenty Hills Publishing Nature Anthology. She lives in suburban Ohio alongside her husband and daughter. You can find her writing at https://rosagilbert.substack.com/ and @rosagilbertpoetry.
