By James McDermott
you call me out as fruit because I am
a lad with pink lady atop my head
to be tiny target I eat nothing
but granny smiths you mark me
light in the loafers to become light
I eat only cox’s medium sized
apples are eighty calories I am
stamped fudge packer I pack in fudge
for russets are fat free you teach me
homo in tongue of reduction
I juice myself turn myself to cider
is flammable you brand me faggot which
means kindling I learn to burn my body
disappears when you say poof
James McDermott's spoken word collection 'Manatomy', longlisted for Polari's First Book Prize 2021, is published by Burning Eye and their pamphlet 'Erased' is published by Polari Press. James's new pamphlet which explores the queerness of nature is forthcoming in December 2022 from Broken Sleep Books. James's poems have been widely published in magazines including Poetry Wales, 14 Poems and The Cardiff Review.