Narrated by Deborah L. Davitt
Irises of amethyst bloom in the garden, beads of hematite in their hearts; a single spinel rose trickles crystal dew, carbuncle tulips purse like an old woman’s frown, and pearlescent orchids listen intently at the verge. Tangles of long jade grass frame smooth, wide cheeks of gleaming amber pebbles and topaz sand. A golden bee, unthinking automaton, buzzes through breathless air, gears whirring in pointless pilgrimage from one sterile, perfect bloom to the next, in a garden that will never wither— but neither will it bear fruit.
Bio: Deborah L. Davitt was raised in Reno, Nevada, but she received her MA in English from Penn State. She currently lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and son. Her poetry has garnered her two Rhysling nominations and has appeared in nearly twenty journals; her short fiction has appeared in InterGalactic Medicine Show, Compelling Science Fiction, and Altered Europa. Her critically well-received Edda-Earth series is available through Amazon. For more about her work, please see www.edda-earth.com.