And there it was
The most beautiful Persian pomegranate
With a skin so flawless
It would be a sin to cut it open

The pomegranate was calling out
Begging her to take a bite
But she knew it was not hers to taste

She resisted the temptation for so long
Eyeing the pomegranate every day
As she strolled by the fruit bowl

One day, when she walked by
She noticed the pomegranate had been cut open
It’s juicy plump seeds alluring her to just take one bite
What would be the harm in just one taste?

She put a seed in her mouth
It’s water-laden pulp seed burst
Exposing her tongue to something
She had never tasted before

Every day
She would walk by
And the Persian pomegranate
Would demand her to take more
So she would slip a few more seeds onto her innocent tongue

And as time went on
The seeds tasted better, sweeter
And more seductively succulent

One day
She placed the seeds into her mouth
But to her surprise
Her mouth began to burn
Her gums began to blister
Her lips began to bleed

She was perplexed
Because the pomegranate was
A poison disguised
As a beautiful, sweet fruit

The pomegranates poison
Consumed her body slowly
Ripping her insides to shreds
As the days she spent enjoying its sweet offerings
Flashed before her eyes

The Persian pomegranate
Painfully and poignantly killed her

You said that she's beautiful like a garden.
Filled with glowing beauty;
drenched in the warmth of sunshine.
But little did you know,
this beautiful garden has grown wildflowers.
They are in every corner, even on the path.
And the time you noticed these unwanted flowers,
you stepped on every blossom and left the garden.

*-Steph Dionisio, March 9, 2016