• By Natalia Rodriguez (she/her)
  • Art “Angel” by Grace Williamson (she/her)

Drip

drip

drip

Your fingers dug deep into the flesh
Ruby oozed out all over your hands
I licked the sweet nectar, lip-smacking
against every finger
It tasted bitter with just the right amount
of sugar for me to enjoy

You always leave me with a crimson smile
But your ruby kisses and scarlet sweet nothings give me a glimpse of pleasure
Strong enough to make me stay put but so temporary
Somewhere beneath the layers,
I knew this was a delicacy you had not treasured

The seeds have been sucked and there is no more juice left
My cold carcass of a pomegranate lies between you and I

I love you.

It spills out of your mouth effortlessly after you finish your portions
As mine fills with metal-tasting mahogany

I stare back at the pomegranate remains and momentarily think
Was this the fruit Eve picked from the Garden of Eden?
I could understand why
Temptation taunting through the pigments
Yet how could Eve or the fruit be to blame
when God handcrafted each of them?