“corn” by Alicia Xie

Image by freepik

i desperately scour at the spots upon my hands

souvenirs of a past spent under the sun shucking dried corn with my bare hands

twisting each kernel off and letting them fall into the heap below

now, fresh corn can be purchased at the supermarket around the corner

daughter often steams them for dinner, piling porcelain plates high

kernels reflect the chandelier above

glistening

glimmering

gloating

my fingertips burn as i gnaw on the cobs

fibers lodge themselves between my teeth

i look down

neat rows smirk at me

at night, i stand over the sink and floss the remains of dinner

spitting into the marble basin

i bare my teeth in front of the mirror

they look back at me

overcrowded and decaying

corn-filled spittle patiently drips down the drain

as i drift to another life under silk sheets

i am in the field behind my home shucking corn

the weather is benign

i look down

my hands are tender and unblemished

my breath sours with rotting corn

Alicia Xie is a sophomore studying environmental engineering who enjoys dabbling in any and all sorts of art. In her free time, she especially likes spending time with her friends, reading, or painting. In the future, she hopes to go into academia to become a professor as well as travel the world.