Chewing Gum

Day Break,

Breaks a treacherous sleep.

Why do you wait so long?

Slices the grief into light fragments and the desperation
Into artless currents.

For Electroconvulsive Therapy

The night weathers and Day Breaks,

breaks the havoc my boy causes in his deep slumber,

In his slumber he breaks.

Glasses, bed frames, knives and forks,

And sharp things. Sharper things.

Sharper things than my sharp tongue. I know where it hurts, boy

You know where it hurts the most.

Reach for my rouge and I’ll slap your hand,

Call me by another version of my name. María Marisa Mortez.

Why must you wait?

Forty years and the flavor died somewhere in the middle.

Still minty, but lacking the promise of ‘fresh.’
Strawberry Citrus tang fizzled out,
Cinnamon without a punch.

A disappointment – not so disappointing as your poor taste in denim.

You could take an easier path – Leather.

About the Author

Neha Dronamraju is a first year student majoring in Public Health. She is a green tea afficionado, and her favorite author is Toni Morrison.