For the one who stopped what they were doing to make this
so we would have something at least

boiled water and stirred until the powder dissolved
so we would have something at least 

added pale shriveled grape, cube of pear, sliver of peach
so we would have something at least 

slipped halves of bright red cherries all from a can of store brand fruit cocktail
so we would have something at least

sweet taste     

		     suspended
	

	 in time 
 	
					       orange Jell-O

     				
            	 my      (firm, cold) 


					mind


I hope I accepted my tiny glass bowl took my spoon 
said please     said thank you

I hope I said something        
at least

Susan Barry-Schulz grew up just outside of Buffalo, New York. She is a licensed physical
therapist living with chronic illness and an advocate for mental health and reducing stigma in
IBD. Her work has appeared in New Verse News, SWWIM, Barrelhouse online, Nightingale &
Sparrow, Shooter Literary Magazine, Kissing Dynamite, The Wild Word, Bending Genres, Feral,
Quartet, Wordgathering, Gyroscope Review, Harpy Hybrid Review, West Trestle Review and
elsewhere.