Today I do the thing
I say I’ll do: cultivate
literally
a green thing
to hold to my skin
to be red cut in pieces
to weigh in my mouth
like Candide’s candied lemons
and pistachios because
il faut cultiver: il faut
me cultiver: the words
I have drawn on my body
my body the only
thing I have made
till this melon
to fill my lines
to hold to my ribcage
and tap tap
this full sugar baby
to smell it
smell of ground
press it to my face
mark it with my fingernails
say: this is a thing I have made
Katy Gunn is an MFA candidate at the University of Alabama with other writing forthcoming from H_NGM_N, wigleaf, Crazyhorse, and more.