MY SUMMARY AT THE AGE OF THIRTY-THREE

by Ruchi Acharya (she/her)

The cerulean sky knows so, The tales of gloomy days I spent non-living, sweating under the shadowless tree in the red sun with bruised knees. Stubborn but at my liberty They called me a poor little thing Who she wanna be?

I plummeted green notes like a delicate French Brie Young, round breasted I did it all at thirty-three

As I look over my shoulders No friends by my side just business allies, losers, lovers, their love has all died I shrugged and moved ahead like a boulder Suppressed the untold sacrifices and midnight battle cries.

I ran and I won, The never-ending marathon I, the Elephant in the room make it obvious, the power holder.

Hoarding winning streaks, singling Dancing alone and having more belongings I hired a nanny, she raised my only daughter. It makes me giggle to look back and imagine this haunted house was once filled with laughter.

I remembered reading a bedtime story to Lee about Midas, his golden touch, and greediness And the fate he had seen without confetti so will I for I was a nincompoop who thought the water in her glass was still half-empty.

I lose it once, I lost it all.

Time persuaded my close ones Money drives me

The houseplants are dying,

The bedtime books settle in the dust. I lose it once, I lost it all.

Just when I thought all the rays of hope are gone

A laser light drawn from the uprising dawn

My Lee returns to me and set me free from the old age home centre

Every day I closely listen to her real-life stories

She had forgiven me for my ignorance and became my mentor

She'll never be me as we blow striped candles on her birthday, turning thirty-three.