A NOTE ON PINK
These things are pink: tongue; blush; intestine. Candyfloss. Ham. Flamingo.
This much we know. The lotus flower is an excellent example of pink.
The pink grapefruit is internally pink, but externally a warm peach.
A sunrise is sometimes pink; a sunset more often. Some people are pink.
Gender reveal confetti is pink only when it starts a wildfire. Triangles
are always pink. Roses might be pink, but might also be something other.
Pigs are pink, unless given the choice. Steak is pink when cared for.
You might find yourself tickled pink, or given a pink slip. Labia minora
are pink when viewed online. To make things pink, carmine is extracted
from ground cochineal, a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha.
Rosé is pink, as is gin, if the bartender sees who’s ordering. More naturally
occurring pinks include the dragon fruit, cherry blossom, and Himalayan salt.
The shocking pink dragon millipede, hailing from northern Thailand, is among
the largest species of pink. Large numbers of them occur after rain showers.
The millipede has glands that produce hydrogen cyanide, which reportedly
causes it to smell like almonds.
Kat Payne Ware (she/her) is a queer poet, reviewer, and the founding editor of SPOONFEED, an online literary food magazine. Her debut pamphlet of poetry, THE LIVE ALBUM, is forthcoming from Broken Sleep Books in July 2021. spoonfeedmag.com