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.