By FEDORA LIU

So sugary sweet
It rotted my teeth

Back then there were boundless pools of sap here
I thought I would never go hungry

I thought I would live forever.

Now I gently pick at the residue in my jar
The sap drips from my elbows
And I lick my fingers and forearm to taste the last drops

Oh, back then,
I swallowed incessantly
a mindless glutton who forgot to savor

I’ve cannot remember the flavor anymore
This time, I thought it would trickle down my tongue and into my throat
bland and lucidly
like cold water
But now, it’s bittersweet and very sticky

There were boundless pools of sap here
When I looked again, only spoonfuls remained

And as I angrily pursue the thief
I find nothing but my dirty hair
Tangled together by the sacred sap of my youth

Writer | Fedora Liu ’28 | feliu28@amherst.edu
Editor | Lauren McLaughlin ’28 | lmclaughlin28@amherst.edu