“Pop pop the pomegranate seeds” by Shivani Kshirsagar
Pop pop
The pomegranate seeds
Bursts of red, your sinful lips
I am Eve.
You are Eden.
Pop pop
The pomegranate seeds
Juice stains
Your body —
My kitchen
Pop pop
The pomegranate seeds
Take a knife
Wrench open the hard shell —
Love a dear murder
Pop pop
The pomegranate seeds
Gleam of diamonds —
Glean the rot —
What delicious delights
Pop pop
The pomegranate seeds
Hades' bait
Persephone's pain —
History called theirs a lovers' tale.
Shivani Kshirsagar is a writer and spoken word poet from Hyderabad, India. She has performed at Hyderabad Literary Fest, and was the runner-up at the National Poetry Slam organised by BITS Pilani, Hyderabad. Along with sharing her writings on Instagram as @girlwiththemane, Shivani also runs a weekly newsletter called "Dear Love".
Twitter: @whatsinamane