The Strawberry Scene, or 1 in 20
by B. N. Wattenbarger
the strawberry scene in
tess of the d'urbervilles
always struck me as slightly
disingenuous.
how could hardy understand
the feeling of being eve's daughter?
always cursed by men's wandering eyes
and wandering hands
i was not fed the strawberry
while i was fed to the wolves
the only red that remained
was on the sheets and under his nails
i can't read about hedgerows without
remembering the hotel room
where he called me ripe for the picking
leaking like an overripe peach
thomas hardy may have had symbolism
but i have only had to endure
Black Eye Had Me Seeing Stars
by B. N. Wattenbarger
image: canva.com
B. N. Wattenbarger is a queer author and poet living in the Southern United States. Her poetry has been featured by Nightingale & Sparrow and Ayaskala. When she's not writing, she can be found drinking coffee. Find her on Twitter and Instagram as @BNWattenbarger.
the cycle of abuse is not unbreakable
but boys learn at their fathers knees
and i learned sit down, shut up, look pretty
don't wear that skirt above your knee
don't wear that shirt below your collarbones
don't breathe a word that might make him
see you
it's easier to talk about it if
i pretend i let it happen, pretend to be flattered
someone wanted me at all
but he never loved me the way he loved power
and that night my black eye had me seeing stars
the constellations were mapped out in
bruises on my throat, not the first time
not the last time. i live in a city of statistics
and that day i became another
that's what happens when they see you
my professor said i should stop writing
about men with claws and fangs, we weren't
working on horror, just compelling narratives
but my black eye had me seeing clearly
and all i could see were your teeth