Valentine
take this blood’s broken vine,
the smell of frankincense
lingers where you lie.
ease what you own
and take it by the throat
until it whispers a last cry
made of sage.
ladybugs crawl
on your lap,
consume your fingernails
made of grape leaves
and bay.
drape your red veil
over the bride and twist
ivy into the shape of love.
show me what you’re made of,
but not too much,
never too much,
or the sky will bleed raw
into the night.
i will forget your face
but now and then,
i will see the trace of your lips
in the mist of the black forest.
Gabriella Escobar 26’
Valentine explores the tension between love’s intoxication and its potential to consume. In this poem, I use rich, organic imagery to evoke both beauty and decay. I was inspired by Laufey's song, Valentine and expanded on the lyrics of the surprise and mystery that love holds.
Honey
“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always reason in madness”. -Friedrich Nietzsche
Love is like sweet, sickly honey.
When the golden aroma fills your nose,
you are compelled to eat.
The viscous ambrosia lingers on your yearning hands,
leaving you desperate for just a taste.
The thick nectar gums your mouth,
It consumes you,
You can do nothing else.
The sap is left on your hands,
On your face,
In your mouth.
The sap will always remain.
The thick aroma will linger.
Tess Barry 27’
This is a short poem about the similarities between love and honey. The urge to consume, the smells that linger on you, as well as the way that it can consume and gum up your life.