Published in Transcendence
1st Place Winner in the “Creating Beauty” Category
If I didn’t know any better,
I would say that the toffee brown,
weathered leather strap of this
notebook was a long, pliable
chocolate shaving. I would say
that it would melt between my
fingers if I were to roll it between
my thumb and pointer, and that
my notebook would never close
again. Its surface glazed, the cocoa
tinted shaving is dappled in light
caramel stripes, born from nervous
ravelings and unravelings, from
tightly sealed covers, and from careless
knots locking the rich, cream pages
away. The creases of this suede cable
are like stretch marks to my skin,
like rings to a tree, like slivers
of pecans and almonds to dark chocolate.
Not thinking, I wrap it around the cap
of my pen until it grows as bulbous
and thick as a honey wand—
I use it on these milk pages,
already stained by bitter tea.
Jaden Fong 