Anatomy of a Peony Eva Cunningham ’27 Small fingers curl around the slim stem of a peony Plucking free from its sanctuary into threatening palms The bright-eyed child settled the flower on a nightstand Kissing its petals, one by one, for a mother partially blind Bees murmur questions into the adolescent’s hair About replacing her blood for another’s Soft truths spill sweet as nectar down her mouth Leaving the rest with a bitter after-taste As the child grows older, the peony decays Belonging: a word only for small, precious hands 12
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