The Early Worm Gets the Robin
By Djuna Martinez
Published in Issue 111, March 2023
The Worm rushed through soft soil
anxious to catch a glimpse of the earliest Robin
viciously beautiful
he peered at her through blades of grass
imagining the caress of her beak
arousing his heart
He longed to surround her
to be lifted from this plane
she would surely shudder
as he slid across each feather
enrapturing her in rhythmic motion
If only he could burrow within her
like he maneuvers through dirt
warmth like deep earth
pounded by the beat of her heart
contained within her vessel
She caught sight of him
the ground quaking with approach
he wove through the field
to present himself to her
a slimy, seductive offering
At last, she ravaged him
his body writhing
In an instant, cut from fantasy
her throat throbbing as she swallowed him
and flew away with his heart aflutter
Djuna Martinez is in her year of “learning to expect nothing.” She is processing the sexual restriction and separation from self that she experienced as a Jehovah’s Witness. A New Mexico transplant, she’s exploring the landscape with her husband, mother-in-law, two kids, dog and kitties.
This is Djuna’s debut into Birdy. Keep your eyes peeled for more future work by her.