apple trees

They say if you swallow apple seeds

a tree will take root

in the depths of your gut

and it will grow and grow

until you’re more wood than human

more bark than flesh

and the apple’s acidity

is all you can taste.

It sounds like a transformation

from one whole being

through hybrids, mutations,

to something hard, steadfast

but still alive, still growing.

I’d rather grow in the sunlight

than change beneath

the wolf’s full moon.

Just like the childhood appleseed

my trauma took root

somewhere deep inside

and perhaps my growth has

stunted, stuttered, stopped

or perhaps it’s changed

direction, like the root

that upturns concrete.

MAX PERRY is a queer non-binary writer, student, and activist. They have a degree in Politics from the University of Southampton and are currently studying an MA in Conflict, Security, and Development at the University of Sussex. They write poetry, fiction, and non-fiction in their free time, as well as dabbling in cross-stitch and fandom, often at the same time. They are fuelled by chicken nuggets and rage at injustice, and they aspire to change the world through both words and action. Their tweets can be found @maxlper.