by Margaret McGowan

In the back of the pantry
I encountered a lonely
sugar cube. Its shoulders
sagged. There were tears.
There were pleas. Please
take me. So I put it
in my coffee, heard
a sigh of satisfaction
as it dove in.

It is important to befriend
other beings.

Eve kissed a snake
because it was sad.
It gave her an apple
to seal their friendship.
Snakes are generous.

Penguins mate for life. They
are comfortable around humans,
so they make a good
choice for a sibling.

There are self-
conscious carrots
in my vegetable drawer—
sleek, strong,
orange as the
sun—they sing
the Ave Maria
and Luck Be
a Lady Tonight
in an ancient
language. I can
hear them as I walk
downstairs in the
morning. When they
hear me, they go
silent. I am trying.

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About the Author:

Margaret McGowan received her BA in English Education from UAlbany, State University of New York. She was a finalist in the 2022 DiBiase Poetry Contest. Her work can be found or is forthcoming in Hobart Pulp, Qu, The Raven Review, MoonPark Review, Ghost City Review, and others.