ED MEEK

Salty Girl

My friend called her a pint
Of peanuts. But I could see
She was more like pistachios
With a hard shell,
Pretty salty, quick
To argue and laugh it off.
I tried to pry
That shell open
And sometimes succeeded
But other times
She remained closed to me.
She had to let me know
She was from Iran,
Home of Xerxes
And Cyrus the Great.
It was her almond eyes
That seduced me finally
And that was before I knew
She could really cook.

Ed Meek is the author of 4 books of poetry and a collection of short stories. His most recent book is High Tide. His poems have appeared in The Brussels Review, The Galway Review, and The Paris Review.