I bought a pomegranate at the store
Because I had six dollars left over from the movies
And a compulsive need to spend my money
The pomegranate’s fruit was bitter and dull
And I wondered if that was how pomegranates were supposed to taste
Or if it was unripe
Biting into the flesh until my tongue was dyed purple
I didn't pause to savour the taste
I just wanted it to be over with
Shoveling red seeds into my mouth
Without stopping to breathe
Bitter and ugly
I saw your face in the fruit
And I kept eating because I paid for it
And I didn’t want to waste food
When it was over, my tongue felt swollen
The fruit was unsatisfying and I wasn’t even full
So, with a bitter taste stinging my mouth,
I had to remind myself that
This is how my life always is.
