“Unrequited” is a criticism of the notion that when we give love, we are owed love back.

On the 21st of April, 2023, I brought home my baby Percy- a southwest carpet Python. I have kept snakes my entire life, however Percy is a little different. Percy is the first snake under only my name, rather than the family name, and the first snake I have raised from a hatchling. She is the the first pet I have chosen to take care of as an adult.

For my entire life, people have asked me why I would choose to own a snake when they ‘cannot love you back’. Why not choose a dog that would be generous in affection? This question only seemed so absurd to me when I chose Percy. When I first saw her, before I could even take her home, she was so small and precious. Immediately I was overcome with the need to protect her and love her and give her everything I possibly could. I spent a month building an enclosure that would suit her every need. I researched, despite already being a seasoned reptile keeper, lest there was something I missed. In all of this time, I never once expected her to give me anything back. The reward was her safety and health.

I do not expect her to love me, but I also find it hard to believe that she holds no affection for me. At the very least, she recognises me as the hand that feeds her. She is comfortable around me and would never bite (unless she missed the mouse when I feed her). When I let other people hold her, she always tries to get back to me. Even if this is not ‘love’, it is more than I could ask for.

“Unrequited” is set up like a scrapbook that a mother would keep for her child. The focal point is a portrait of Percy. This portrait, with her face against the mottled background, resembles a school photo that a mother might keep. There is a drawing of Persephone and pomegranate motifs in order to honour her namesake- Percy being short for Persephone. The scrabble pieces that spell out her name reference the family bonding moments as a child when you all play board games until late at night. The teeth, although they are made of clay, parallel how parents keep their children’s teeth that are supposed to be taken by the tooth fairy. The portrait of a pinky mouse immortalises her favourite food as a youngster. Each little detail is a reference to the care I gift to Percy.

Percy is not the only object of my unrequited love, although she may be the main one to receive it.  I love nature, insects, art, music. Would I expect a tree to love me back? People love celebrities without the expectation that the celebrity should know them. Love is not a finite resource, and the more I love, the more fulfilled I am.

Unrequited love is not a tragedy, but rather a feat of devotion. I am fulfilled just by doting on Percy, this little creature I have chosen to love.