ALL’S FAIR
The bell rings
And Love and Hate come in for lunch
Love orders soup with coffee
Hate orders salad with whiskey
I return balancing two plates, a mug, and a shot
Love reaches for their plate as I move to put it down
Hate makes no offer to help
I place down the drinks and turn to walk away
From behind me I hear Hate’s voice for the first time
“I ordered wine,” they say
In one moment I’m dry
In the next I have whiskey in my eyes
Love’s eye twitches
Hate looks proud
From the neighboring table I hear Sense, Composure, and Judgment go silent
My eyes blur as they water
Vaguely I hear Love yelling
I look up and lock eyes with Hate
Love not-so-gently pushes Hate forward
Hate turns away
“Sorry,” they say
Love gives me an awkward smile and takes out their card to pay the check
Their hand is hit away when Hate’s card takes its place instead
Love and I get whiplash as our necks turn in Hate’s direction
Hate plays with the ring on their empty hand
Love and I’s mouths open in identical ‘o’s as I silently take the card
Hate’s card declines
Love pays the rest of the bill
—from 2024 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
__________
Why do you like to write poetry?
Olivia Sung: “I love the flexibility of being free from grammatical rules. Poetry allows me to manipulate words in the way that I see fit while still granting me the freedom to express myself in a unique way that all other mediums cannot. I also love the beauty in poetry, in that it is able to capture the charm of both the little and large things in life.”
