Potatoes

She thinks we crush easily. Into whatever everyone else wants us to be.

They say in Ireland we saved a generation.

Or maybe it was actually that we killed them all by dying?

In Russia they purify and distill us so others can drink our ghosts.

I'm not really sure what our essence is anymore

because they keep saying it's "neutral"

and easy to manipulate.

It seems like we would get tired of living a life

where our form keeps changing,

but we keep growing.

If they didn't keep manipulating us

where would we be?

Who would we be?

What would we taste like?

-

I'm afraid she's right.

What if I'm just a base to be built on?

A starch that can't stand on its own?

I crush easily.

I fulfill everyone and no one,

because everyone already has their favorite version of me

and being all of them at once isn't impossible,

but it isn't sustainable.

Maybe I could squeeze myself through wire mesh,

take a bath for a few weeks,

and come out strong enough to fill a row of shot glasses.

Maybe I could chop off the bad parts of me,

flail and pop in hot oil

and fill my wounds with salt crystals.

Maybe I could bury myself and just start over.