how to break a pomegranate

i tried prying open the pomegranate but failed. i’ve never been good at it—you would know. this fruit has been sitting on the counter for a while now, and i’ve been subconsciously avoiding it. it reminds me too much of you.

it was your unspoken duty to pry them open for me. they were always too hard for me, but they were sweet, so i liked them. maybe too sweet. and we both know i’ve never been very good at holding onto things that are too sweet for me. just look at you, for instance.

when something is that hard and that sweet, you have to be careful not to break what matters.

i finally hear the crack of the outer shell. and then, just like that, the seeds scatter across the counter. i rush to wipe it off, but it stains. it seeps in, mixes with my tears.

and suddenly nothing is going right in my life—and you, forever stained too.