Founded in the fall of 1991, Laurel Moon is Brandeis' oldest, national literary publication. Each issue we publish features original work from undergraduate students.
My father rushes home only to find me
asleep in bed, curled around a bowl of white
rice, red braised pork belly, rages, throttles,
my only father rages, This is how the dying eat.
I peeled back the summer plums one evening,
crushed purple grit on linens, lucid, living.
I tasted the sour-sweet dribbles on my knuckles then
watched them stain, spread, allowed myself restfulness:
I unfolded the cloth and realized my fortune, fragrant, like leaves.
Ten years ago I held a grape against the hard roof
of my mouth, sucked on it until morning.
What does it matter how tender the body?
I feast whatever way I can.
Jingyi Wang grew up in Seattle, Washington. She's a second-year student at Brandeis University, majoring in computer science and creative writing. She loves reading poetry!