i.
as children we ate soil / before we learned
it was not what the body needed / still
some of us liked its taste / and have spent
our years uncovering / quiet ways to hide
the dark earth / that holds itself / between
the teeth / beneath the fingernails /
stark against the slow and pale
transition / from skin to bone
ii.
others go on / drinking from the garden
hose / from baths / pools / puddles /
put their trust in each cool offering /
knowing only thirst / and how best
to rid themselves of it
is a queer poet living in Manchester. Her work is due to appear in the forthcoming issue of Lemon Curd.