My Flesh, His Fruit

Did Eve feel this way?
A rush, a hunger, 
a moment of complete surrender?
These sweet parallels,
our desires–no different. 
It was never about an apple anyway.

My skin is red, a ripe apple. 
Could it be nerves or just arousal?
He softly holds my core,
as my bits drip down his chest—
I have never wanted anything more.

A seed spills free, 
It slips along his neck. 
Sweat mixed with apple juice
trail his lips like 
a tender peck. 

Some may say I was deflowered
after being devoured.
I don't care, they’re wrong.
I've given myself willingly.
I may be bitten down to the core, 
but I am still whole, just a little sore. 

They can make assumptions about 
the pieces I've given away,
the seeds that lay astray.
It was mine to give,
I feel no shame anyway. 

My flesh, his fruit. 
Beneath my skin, an apple within.
It is not a sin.  

"My Flesh, His Fruit" explores an intersection of desire and societal expectations surrounding women and sex. My use of symbolic imagery of a woman/apple hybrid and the biblical narrative of Adam and Eve critique the stigmas behind women's desires and sexual intimacy. "Did Eve feel this way?" invites readers to imagine Eve's emotions as a mirror to modern, intimate experiences and that her desires are no different than mine or any other woman's. "It was never about an apple anyway" was inspired by one of my favorite paintings by Max Svabinsky, titled "The Fruit Was Never an Apple: In Paradise." It depicts Adam kneeling and performing oral sex on Eve in a forest, inferring that the "fruit" was always sex or intimacy between the two. 

The line "My skin is red, a ripe apple" symbolizes a woman during a moment of desire and intimacy. It represents vulnerability and sensuality, as the speaker's skin is "red," which signals arousal and an openness to intimacy. The imagery of the man holding the apple core close to his core demonstrates a physical closeness between the speaker and the man. The dripping apple juice and the mixture of his sweat also symbolize a consensual and visceral moment between the two. 

I also wanted to highlight the myth about virginity and the concept of being "deflowered," which often implies a loss of purity after sexual intimacy. The speaker then states that she has "given herself willingly," taking ownership of her sexual agency. The line "I may be bitten down to the core, but I am still whole, just a little sore" demonstrates how, despite having a physical effect from intimacy, she is still emotionally intact and feels zero shame or loss. 

The line "My flesh" symbolizes her willingness and her claim on her own body. "His fruit" symbolizes original temptation turned into a mutual exchange of desire. This phrase is intended to challenge traditional views on sexuality, diminishing shame and emphasizing empowerment. The line, "Beneath my skin, an apple within," brings us back to how the apple is this internal symbol of desire, which doesn't represent an object of temptation or sin but simply a part of who she is. 

Overall, I wanted to explore the complexities of female desire, empowerment, and pleasure through a metaphorical apple and Eve's story. I hope that my poem challenges the double standards placed on women and invites readers to reconsider the ways we view intimacy between men and women and how women are able to enjoy sex in the same ways without repercussions of judgment.