Cover Photo: This photograph is a close up of the lower half of a person's face. Their lips are parted and they have a hoop septum piercing. The light reflecting off their face is red.
Photograph by Åaker/Unslpash

my depression as punishment for desire

This poem was written by renée kay in a 12-Month Poetry Collection Generator taught by Angel Nafis.

i picture the apple cinnabar & caught in the dawn before evil & wonder if her breath fogged the skin if she saw her reflection if juice pooled in the corners of her lips & if she licked it off herself

& would not ask her to give it back or undo this consummate act

anyone that has used their hands to put life in the dirt knows apples wouldn’t grow in the garden

she must’ve pulled out with her teeth one by one

renée kay is a queer poet in Brooklyn by way of Appalachia and other beautiful, strange places. Their poems can be found in Copper Nickel, Yes Poetry, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, and elsewhere. They work at Brooklyn Poets, where they serve as Development Manager and organize the Staff Picks Reading Series. You can find them on Twitter @reneekay__.