1. The Seven Deadly Sins

   Caroline Jenner

   Wrath’s fury had slowly grown in intensity, until it surged out in a vitriolic rant at Sloth, who had watched the whole debacle with a lethargy born from years of practice.  Gluttony had begun the argument – insatiable in a desire for the lion’s share.  Envy, filled with resentment, sided with Lust, who also secretly craved more than her seventh.  Initially Pride stood aloof, until finally her egocentricity, no longer contained, hurled wrongful accusations. Vaingloriously determined, she merely served to intensify the disagreement.  Meanwhile Greed sneaked into the larder, ate all the debated chocolate, and quietly slipped away.

2. Soul Food

   Bean Sawyer

   Each bite drips, honey sweet, down her chin;

   her tongue searching, stretching, reaching the extremities of her face.

   She thought about the next mouthful before she swallowed the first.

   It’s not enough. It’s never enough.

   Yoga. Pilates. Half marathons;

   Lunging ‘til her thighs burn, salutations to the sun, a connection

   to something – anything. She’s longing for the union,

   to consume and be consumed.

   Wiping beads of sweat from her forehead; diaphragmatic breathing,

   silencing her addled mind with mindful meditation,

   legs and heart open, receptive

   expanding her belly, filling it with a sense of purpose.

   To taste, to ache.

   To love.

3. Guerilla blossoms

   Megan Anderson

   Was five enough? She squinted at the stash in her left hand. Secateurs dangled from her right. The night was redolent with barbecued onion, lawn clippings, drunk cicadas. Her pulse quickened as a porch light clicked on – sensor or spy? This was the thrill of foraging in other people’s gardens after dark – then off again. She breathed out. Musk wafted off the just-snipped grevilleas. One more. She reached deep for a flawless bloom, its pale loops catching moonlight. ‘Compositionally’, came a sharp riposte from the fangs of a tetchy dugite, ‘five is just right.’

4. This Greedy Thing

   Kristina Fenske-Vincent

   A strange creature is in my house,

   it’s certainly not a harmless mouse.

   A silence was here before

   it came knocking at my door,

   the quiet hours lost in such a creature,

   for their return I am eager.

    

   It howls all night and sleeps all day.

   Sometimes, I’d like it to go away.

   Takes what it wants, gives nothing back.

   Nonetheless, I agreed not to slack. 

    

   Is it wicked to want one hours’ rest

   as it suckles at my breast?

   But the eyes are soft, its mouth

   and cheeks a rosy pink.

   Look here,

   I do love this little mink.

5. Daily Torment

   Deryn Pittar

   She had fought her desire every day of every year, for as long as she could remember. Surely other people didn’t have this struggle? She scowled at the women at the nearby table, a gaggle of blonde -haired ‘some-bodies’: their bangles clanking, their voices hurting her ears. Skinny rakes, flaunting their bony limbs.

   Her black coffee, untainted by sugar, sat next to her every nightmare. Why had she ordered it? Rich clotted cream sandwiched a delicate arrangement of meringue slices with chocolate sauce dripping down the sides. She lifted her spoon, her mouth watered and greed won again.

6. Judging the Book 

   Maria Dean

   His classmates stare in disgust as Rohan shovels the mountain of mashed potato into his gaping mouth. Some turn their heads to the side, unable to bear witness to the feeding frenzy, but they can’t escape the noise of his jaw masticating each rapacious mouthful like a pulping machine. They push their untouched lunches away, so repulsed by this display of animalistic gorging. They will eat later, in the civilised atmosphere of their own fruitful houses. Rohan, on the other hand, will not have this luxury as this is his one and only meal of the day.    

The group chose ‘Judging the Book’ as their favourite. Congratulations to Maria Dean!