I bought the house from Bruce
A widowed art collector
The furniture, the fixtures
“If you like it, make an offer”

I gestured to the table
The platter of glass-blown fruit
Matte Meyer lemon, dimple-skinned orange
Bulbous, golden pear wearing stem like a crown

Maybe the fruit, I said
Maybe I’ll take the fruit

Curiosity filled the chairs
as the realtor whispered low
“That fruit is a steal
at $40,000”

I bought the house from Bruce
Bit right into the flesh
Took a photo of the fruit
And swallowed it for free

Kelly Q. Anderson was a longtime columnist until the pandemic torpedoed local news. She is a dual student at eCornell (Diversity & Inclusion) and StoryStudio. She’s an Iowa Hawkeye and member of Off Campus Writers’ Workshop.