The Clementine by Douglas Richardson

The clementine

in the drainage ditch

has found an

unexpected niche

the only fresh orange

in miles of rotten canal

meanwhile

up on the streets

the Dubai palms

are all tied up

in symmetrical rows

perfection is foolish

don’t you know—

let your hair fall wild

Douglas Richardson is a poet and novelist who lives in Santa Ana, California, with his wife, Jen, and cat, Wes. He has been published in a few literary journals over the years, including Hobo Camp Review, Misfits’ Miscellany, Straight Forward Poetry, The Nervous Breakdown, and Poetry Super Highway. In 2013, he won the Poetry Super Highway contest with his entry, “Notes from the Graveyard Shift.”