NAPO 15

Today's prompt was to write about an object from a well-known story and personify it. I, of course, chose Adam's apple. He's trying to blame the apple for enticing him, much like rape culture tries to place some blame on women for the actions of men. I'd like to work on this a bit more. I like this idea very much because it gets to the hahaha core of some of our problems.

Adam Blames the Apple

When you sprouted from the branch,

At first a blossom, did you know

How much chaos your flesh could cause?

Do you feel guilty?

If your skin wasn’t quite so rubescent,

Your curves so lovely,

The scent of your ripening so sweet,

If only you didn’t fit

Snugly in the palm of a hand,

If only you didn’t hang so low,

Enticing more than the bees,

Maybe history would have played

Out a little different.

Were you asking for it—

To be plucked from the vine,

to be held against the nose

pressed against hungry lips,

nibbled by teeth,

penetrated by my hunger?

If only you’d hung on a little longer,

If only your shine

Had been snuffed

By some blemish,

If only you’d worn

Something other than candy-apple,

Or fire engine, or scarlet.

If only you weren’t so damn

Beautiful, then, maybe then,

We wouldn’t be in this mess,

Oh my sweet apple of Eden.