i was having
a rather spirited
conversation with
technical support
a circular sort of
agonizing death by
a thousand slices
in the triple digit
rancor of texas summer
which ended with a
few choices expletives
and a defeated fool
having to explain it
all to an angry lady

it took some doing
but she finally calmed
and smiled and said
“well life gave us lemons
you know what that means”

perhaps it was the heat
or bubbling frustration
but i refused to play

if life were
to casually
give you lemons
the sudden urge
to make lemonade
confounds me

lemons do not
exist naturally
they are a product
of citrons and
bitter oranges
being crossbred
over many decades

unless you have
a dire case of scurvy
the question should be
what series of events
led the universe to
thinking you needed
the lemons which you
are so ready to juice

if life gives you lemons
and all you can think of
is to make lemonade
it is your lack of creativity
keeping you stuck in place
lemons are the gift of
dedication and curiosity
a wonder of ingenuity

instead i left
the lemonade hanging
in the silence of the office
thinking about salting
some lemons for a few weeks
for moroccan chicken