The Mesmeric Quality of Crimson

after Kahlo's "Still Life: Pitihayas"

hairy, prickly, seeds painted like spirochetes
of sperm zeroed in on the ovum, a certain

calling home to a meaty center, pulp dreams,
gift-wrapped in onion skin-thick layers, one cut

will take your life, one kiss will bring you back,
what's hidden under a green leaf is (like) love,

secretive, wondrous, enough to rid the flesh
of blemish, keep away the sugar and wire

skeleton holding the scythe, sharp white
against the porous volcanic rock, heart strings

unravel, "amor", a word that leaves a bitter
aftertaste in the mouth, its gray void-like tomb.

copyright 2002 Virgil Suarez