Tomato

Bethany J. Riddle

Outside my window,
the leaves of our tomato plant
quiver
from a slight wind.
Green fruits stand still,
silently undergoing metamorphosis
until
almost like magic -
they are red.
Ready
for plucking and
eating.
Bursting,
in an explosion of skin and seed.

Tomato was first published by Macrame Literary Journal at macramelit.com.

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Bethany J. Riddle
Bethany J. Riddle is a writer, poet, and educator living in the Pacific Northwest. Her poetry has been published in multiple journals including Amethyst Review, Macrame Literary Journal and is upcoming at The Prose Poem where two of her poems were shortlisted for the 2025 Spring Short Competition. She has an educational background in Journalism and Teaching, spending 10+ years in the classroom as an English and History teacher. She is currently working on her first book of poetry where she explores themes of childhood, parenting, aging, and spiritual speculation. You can find her at https://substack.com/@bethanyjriddle and Instagram @bethanyjriddle.