My Pumpkin Collapsed on Election Day
by Flora Snowden
because its inner walls had started molding and
I’ve been thinking that I
might go freeze my eggs
since I keep getting it advertised
every other thumb press it says
FREEZE FOR LATER USE
like my grandma’s spaghetti
like we’re not sure if the world is ending
so hit pause but stay ready
might need your offspring for a
future revolution we don’t have the
numbers on yet
I want to write about the world but keep
coming back to this body
need to start looking through it instead of outside it
guess it’s good I spent the day heaving
now I’m all clean and clear for viewing
eating nothing then rice
leaves a lot of room
another thumb swipe and
maybe they’re right ‘cause FOR LATER USE
sounds pretty nice so
come scoop me out so I can keep going
go back to high school–eat
one meal a day again
can’t risk blocking the view from my newly
carved face
orange and evil some say
while my sister screams pro-life
and we watch each other wither
from our freshly painted front porches
but I’m too busy trying not to overfill
and too tired from holding up my molding sides
to question if I’m the one who carved my eyes
or to bother asking what banner
my FREEZE FOR LATER eggs are all taught to stand under