VANILLA
the moment I realize I’m empty and feel nothing is
when the ice cream man asks me about what flavour I want
and I don’t know the answer because I’m empty
and I don’t know whether I like chocolate or raspberry
I walk away without choosing anything because I like nothing
and I don’t feel like ice cream
sitting on a bench looking at the sea I remember when I was the wave
the wave that carried loneliness and pain and happiness
sang of the wives who left their husbands and children who fell in love
I walk towards the ice cream truck
and I think of the times when I knew where to go, whom to kiss and what to write
I say “vanilla, please” and walk away with ice cream melting on my hands
the nothingness tastes sweet and feels sticky
I lick it off my fingers and step into the wave
—
Inga Piotrowska is a young Polish poet based in Manchester, UK. She has won numerous national and international poetry competitions and published her first poetry book, Question of Sleepless Nights, in 2018. Inga recently changed her writing language from Polish to English.
