II OF PENTACLES, EARTH [REVERSED]

BY LETA IRIS

juggling the priorities of
my life, to an endless cycle of 
              t r y i n g
to catch each element and make it 
do tricks. to impress, to prove i am 
doing it (life) right, an example. the 
eldest daughter inside
of me dictates my 
ritualistic hunger to 
succeed,
to mean something.
each all fall and splatter
on the ground, one by one
like spoiled plums, purple 
ooze staining the earth below 
me

fruit flies circling to devour
my potential as i lap up any
remnants of the spoiled, moldy 
fruits of my wasted labor. dirt on 
my tongue, seeds between my 
teeth. fists clenched, knuckles 
bruised from grasping onto the 
flesh of my life until it seeps into

the concrete and i am just left 
with the pit, the center. me. at the 
core, i am stripped bare, an echo 
in a hollow body.

leta iris (she/they) is a bisexual, midwestern poet studying english, with a concentration in creative nonfiction and a minor in creative writing. she is the author of two poetry collections, when summer fades to fall and the fruits of her bittersweet sadness, left to rot. her piece, “animals,” was previously featured in the Experiences of Femininity exhibit at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, as well as several other small literary magazines. she enjoys caffeine, thrifting trinkets and collecting purses. you can usually find her beneath a fuzzy blanket, book in hand while cuddled up with her lifelong partner, cody, and her blue-heeler beagle mix, buffy. you can find more of her work on instagram, @tangledflxwers