The Joy of Ramen

I grasp my steaming ramen, ‘bout to dine

The sav’ry smells do cast their spell on me

As I inhale the liquid gold sunshine

It comforts me like friendly company

The golden noodles swim in bowls of broth

The peas and meat afloat like tiny rafts

Providing haven in life’s frenzied froth

The true depiction of a master’s craft

But toxins hide in every bowl that’s cooked

They taint and seep into your every bite

Whichever type of noodle you have picked

It slowly grips you with its tight’ning vice.

So I decree; No more ramen for me

I’ll see how long until my will will flee

- Anthony Cui

young town

we walked down our old neighborhood

the one that sells candy

and ice cream

and sand box dreams

out of the

white van

the one that tucks

lollipops

abandoned tricycles

stray children

into its belly

and strangers

cast shadows

over our strollers

and our mothers beam

at the cooing

and we

we are smiling

compiling new faces

to someday star in our dreams

then we blurt out our

favorite word

“no” to the bullies

who dogged our tiny footsteps

and kicked over our sand castles

“no” to the bullies

just ten years older

and ten times more dangerous

who don’t follow us during recess

but into the recesses of alleys

but that’s not who we were running from

rather, we were fleeing our childhoods

pursuing our goals

because we didn’t believe that

future and past

could coexist

in the same place

at the same time

now, fifteen years later

we have returned

like monarchs fluttering back north

we have learned

that, like youth and maturity

like kindness and cruelty

what we leave behind

follows us anyways

just as our bullies did

and we choose to stay

TV Girl

TV girl

Sells white smiles

And trim waists

And expensive clothing

And flawless makeup

And happiness

None of which

Have anything to do

With back pain medication

None of which

Belong to her.

But TV girl grins

Holds medication she hasn’t taken

Shows off her good side

Spouts facts she memorized

In the dim light of her apartment.

Looks for approval

From the grizzled man

Behind the camera.

Stands and acts pretty

Silent in the set

Hears the voiceover inside her head

Talking too fast

Saying too much

And not saying enough-

Side effects may include

Nausea, faintness, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and death-

Maybe she has taken the pills before.

TV girl plays with kids

Whose real mothers stand off to the side

Waiting for the shoot to finish

So they can go get ice cream

To celebrate.

When TV girl goes home

She melts

Into the tile floor of her bathroom.

She rests her head

On the toilet lid

Waits for emails

From casting directors

And agencies

That never come.

Scrolls for texts

From family

And friends

That never come.

And so, she rereads the old ones again.

She takes a test

From her online college course

And fails.

TV girl screams

Into the bag of chips

She took from the go-see

One week ago

That offered snacks

That real pretty girls don’t eat

But real humans

Have to eat.

TV girl

Looks at her reflection

On the screen

And wishes she could be

That girl.