Plump valves of fruit flesh drip
juice blood into my cuticles.
My heart’s fruit and pulsing skin
Squeaky smooth against my lips.
One bite to find the round seed,
The star, and cherry flesh, the fuchsia halo.
Stained teeth spit pit
And toss the hanger stem.
Marguerite is a lifelong lover of words and stories. A current senior in high school, she began writing in third grade and continues to write every day. Marguerite is a 2024 Denison University Reynolds Young Writers Workshop alum, a 2024 Cincinnati Overture Awards finalist for short fiction, winner of the 2023 Montgomery Women’s Club award for Poetry, and received regional recognition for the 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Award for flash fiction. Marguerite hopes to study neuroscience, English, and philosophy in college.In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and walking with her dog, Ted.