to the core
by Kelly Esparza
April 5, 2026 | Poetry | Astonished
you could say
my apple flesh is my body,
and it’s been put through
the apple slicer, but my core
is my radiating, pulsating soul, my heart
that’s fibrous, thick skinned.
see, I’ve been sliced, cut, and peeled,
but no slicer or knife
can truly sacrifice
what I take a stand for,
can take me down
when my core
is much tougher to chew
than you think.
Kelly Esparza (she/her) is a chronically ill writer and freelance editor who holds BAs in English and Creative Writing from the University of Arizona. She is the editor-in-chief of FLARE Magazine. Her poetry chapbook, A SPOONIE’S GUIDE TO SELF-ACCEPTANCE is out now with Bottlecap Press
love the final line!