Gregor Samsa’s Sister

by Cristina Nehring (September 2024)

“I am not hungry for the food
That you have,” says Gregor
To his sister, says she
To the men at her door.
–
If ever she thought
Love was just the livery
Of desire, the silver
One puts around a meal
–
To dignify one’s greed,
Now she knows different.
The plates tower
With sweetmeats but
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The girl has no appetite.
How gaunt is the angel
Of passion, how spartan;
She’d rather starve,
–
This dreaming waif,
Than defile her
Fierce hunger
With snacking..
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