The Pink Lady dangles, ripe, trembles beyond reach.
I stretch my arm up, ripple branches, wade through waves of leaves,
paddle twigs aside. Still, acid green flutters about my empty hands
as my fingers, breeze-licked, search in vain for fruit.
A jackdaw rides a gust and lands above my head.
His beak pecks, takes what I could not. I watch.
He eats: flesh and pips and plump white maggot.
Next year, I’ll be taller. Will I have the stomach?
Header photograph by Jason D. Ramsey.
Ceinwen lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, and writes short stories and poetry. She has been widely published in web magazines and in print anthologies. She graduated with an MA in Creative Writing from Newcastle University in 2017. She believes everyone’s voice counts.
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