Unpolishing

I laboriously shove my toes, one by one, into those shiny loafers; one foot after the other.
I take my heavy luggage, walk out of the newly-decorated cubicle, facing the artificial
morning.
O! listen to that deer groaning!
I pick up a flaming red apple floating towards me on the surface of the pool, gnaw it.
Old mates’ scrambling, pretentious voices of reciting were gradually, deeply buried by my
chewing.
O! listen to that deer groaning!
I continue to walk slowly into the boundless forest in fear, touching my belly button.
I take off my clothes one by one until the brutal petrichor devours my glossy skin.
O! listen to that deer groaning!
I reach for my food, but I only see a huge, milky-white rock in my bag,
Wildflowers fall all over southern hills, tears fall all over my cheeks, surging.
O! listen to that deer groaning!

Yiniu Chen is a junior in CAMS. Their current passions include writing poetry, gouache painting, rewatching Polanski films, and cooking Korean food. You can follow Yiniu on Instagram here.