by Irina Vérène
spring is coming
with a strawberry in the mouth
whipped cream skin and sparkling sugar eyes
plump lips overflowing red, stained with a passion
too fervent for a fragile flower
pinprick blood-point juice drop tongue
too sharp to be sweet as the nectar bees crave
cutting-edge teeth tearing through soft flesh
bites that ooze sticky red
too romantic to be understood by most
the true beauty of nature is so often overlooked
purposefully misunderstood
for being too feral
too loud
too untamed
for its own good
strawberry stains
will paint linens and skin all year
mementos of a consuming spring drenched in
rebirth
revival
rejoicing
and the marks all emerging things leave
on the malleable fabric
of an ever-changing world
Irina Vérène is a non-binary writer from Germany who explores the rawness and complexity of human connection and emotion in both poetry and prose. Their work has appeared in Vial of Bones Zine and is set to be featured in The Queer Gaze Mag, Venus Virgo Press, The Infinite Blues Review, Moss Puppy Magazine, and a zine by Gnashing Teeth Publishing. Find them on Instagram (@queen_of_gore) or Substack (@queenofgore).