my children will be dead before their 50th birthday

by Sarah Groustra

You never know what you’re going to see until you’ve seen it

“and isn’t that the way?”

There will be, someday, 

the chocolate ice cream and cotton candy of perpetual youth

but for now it’s just another night, seeking solace

in the emptiness

in the wonders that are not for me

“You must be this tall to ride” 

I don’t want to feel guilty for craving fullness 

but I was born too late

“and isn’t that the way?”

Sarah Groustra (she/her) is a recent graduate from Kenyon College in Gambier, OH, where she studied English and drama. Her writing has previously appeared in Funicular Magazine, Lilith Magazine, and the Jewish Women's Archive. Her plays have been workshopped or produced by Playdate Theatre, the Parsnip Ship, Grub Street, and Playwright's Workshop at Kenyon (PWAK). Sarah is originally from Brookline, Massachusetts, and her favorite thing in the world is breakfast all day. You can find her on Twitter at @ladypoachedegg.