Another word and image pairing from our artist/poet in residence C. Albert.
Swallow
My Mouth is a Hollowed Apple
I swallowed the seeds and core.
Do strawberry men feel vulnerable
wearing their seeds on the outside?
I swept the playground with a tree branch.
Boys chased me; I fell and skinned my knees.
At snack time, we had graham crackers and milk
then took a nap.
I wore a tight slip to flatten the symbols
rising on my chest.
The first boy who grabbed at them
forgot I was his friend.
Blood oranges have blemishes,
other changes no one warned me about.
I wanted the blood to stop.
*C Albert can be contacted through inksweatandtears@aol.com
My Mouth is a Hollowed Apple was first published in Soundzine
Swallow was first published in qarrtsiluni