Poetry by Susan Sue

            David Prasad CC



These are Days in the Life

Some wet children with yellow swim caps pass by
the moisture of their wisps wraps against my arms.
A woman is babbling on her phone, her three-year-old son
kicks the ball, a perfect arc stretches in the blurred skyline. I wonder
If he could do better than this, but he stops 
and let the ball roll by itself. It bounces high
enough this time and the boy exclaims. 
I follow the ball and wander. 
Curbside bars are hot and bright, beers with white bubbles 
shiver as the endless summer, roaring motorcycles streak over
neon lights shade people’s faces. They are all laughing
at nothing. 
couples vape on the street, their fingers play with the smoke. 
gauzy particles float in the air like fireflies 
they smudge the road and I hear barking. 
I want to turn around but I am stuck.
Reminding me of the day I first lapped the liquor left on a bottle cap 
slowly submerging in buoyant sunbeams.
I once called it a dream. 
Now my tongue tries to burst out another word.
It is just a day in the life when you know where to go
These are days in the life when you still know what 
Life means
When you could cup butterflies and stars 
and watch dogs chasing their tails ceaselessly in the ending dusk. 

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Susan Sue is a 17-year-old international poet. She writes when she does not have classes. She writes in both English and Chinese. When she’s not worrying and overthinking, she can often be found doing DIY projects and making chocolate cookies.
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