Animal Crackers

Lions, tigers and bears oh my! The sweet taste of childhood melts on my tongue as I reminisce on the days where there were no consequences or worries – only joy. With each crunch, the animals take me back to a time in my childhood. The camel carries me on its back to the great continent of Africa, in a small country on the east side called Eritrea – the place where I was born. The elephant showers me with my parent’s love and adoration just for walking and speaking gibberish. When I fall down, the bear embraces me and swaddles me with care when I start to whimper. Each bite transports me to a new memory. The taste lingers on my tongue like dew. The smell envelopes me in a cocoon filled with light that protects me from the outside world. Too innocent to know that one day, I will emerge. My past life floods all the pores on my skin, like sap from a tree. Dipping each animal cracker into my milk, I drown all my sorrows and relive the past. Kids are running around and playing. Their laughter echoes in my ears as I swallow my childhood down. I take a bunny rabbit and remember how I learned to tie my shoes then I swallow again and the bunny disappears into the hole. The taste doesn’t leave my senses as though it’s trying to pull me back into the past permanently.