Flower Explorations 5 by Valentina Luna
Jane Feinsod | William Tell
The difference between keepsake
and honeycrisp lives behind the teeth.
How it bursts, how it lingers.
How it ghosts around your mouth,
my mouth. I’m rupturing toward the orchard.
When it squalls, when it rots, I go
for the root. You’re nibbling at the bark.
When you swallow, sap gets in my throat.
When you nock the arrow,
I’ll perch the apple on my head.
That’s how this works.
So either you move or I do.
Now tune out the buzzing.
Keep knees steady. Eyes on me.
They only sting if you let them.
Composure. Count backwards from ten.
Remember your pinky wrapped on mine.
Swore, spat, crossed, now make your mark.
I’m at the tree, still. I’m still.
If you shake, that’s it.
And I’ll have this wasp on me forever.
It came here for the apple,
it’s staying for the meat.
Show me what you’re made of.
Nothing comes out of hunger alone.
Tell me what you’re hunting.
Tell me what you’re wanting.
I can’t stand like this forever
and honeycrisp lives behind the teeth.
How it bursts, how it lingers.
How it ghosts around your mouth,
my mouth. I’m rupturing toward the orchard.
When it squalls, when it rots, I go
for the root. You’re nibbling at the bark.
When you swallow, sap gets in my throat.
When you nock the arrow,
I’ll perch the apple on my head.
That’s how this works.
So either you move or I do.
Now tune out the buzzing.
Keep knees steady. Eyes on me.
They only sting if you let them.
Composure. Count backwards from ten.
Remember your pinky wrapped on mine.
Swore, spat, crossed, now make your mark.
I’m at the tree, still. I’m still.
If you shake, that’s it.
And I’ll have this wasp on me forever.
It came here for the apple,
it’s staying for the meat.
Show me what you’re made of.
Nothing comes out of hunger alone.
Tell me what you’re hunting.
Tell me what you’re wanting.
I can’t stand like this forever
Jane Feinsod is a poet and educator living in Western Massachusetts. She received her MFA from UMass Amherst, where she was named a Rose Fellow. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Redivider, Arkansas International, The Worcester Review, Orange Blossom Review, and elsewhere.
Born in 1995 and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, Valentina Luna moved to Mexico City to study at Universidad Iberoamericana where she obtained a BBA in Business Administration in 2017. In CDMX Valentina studied art intermittently, until moving to New York City in 2023 to continue her studies at The Art Students League of New York, Parsons School of Design, and New York School of the Arts.
Valentina's diverse background has allowed her to gain experience in various disciplines, and enrich her multi-cultural heritage and unique perspective, continuing her journey into the play of light and color, capturing the essence of the world that envelops us, while remaining firmly grounded in the realms of pleasure and aesthetics. Valentinas' work draws profound inspiration from the dynamic culture and lush landscapes of her homeland, Colombia.
Valentina's diverse background has allowed her to gain experience in various disciplines, and enrich her multi-cultural heritage and unique perspective, continuing her journey into the play of light and color, capturing the essence of the world that envelops us, while remaining firmly grounded in the realms of pleasure and aesthetics. Valentinas' work draws profound inspiration from the dynamic culture and lush landscapes of her homeland, Colombia.
