J A E N A D A N A R A M

Photos by Duc Dang

Writing by Reya Mehta

I saw two kids yesterday, running around on the park I saw two running on the park playground. They looked like us—or at least, how we used to playground. They looked like us—or at least, how we used to look.

(We were young once, weren’t we? Children, blindly trusting, (We were young once, weren’t we? Children, blindly trusting, stumbling over our feet like baby deer?) stumbling our feet baby

I don’t know why it bothered me; I don’t care much for children. I don’t know it bothered me; I don’t care much for children. It’s just—their hands were so small. Were ours that tiny, too? It’s were so small. Were ours that tiny,

(You were a child of flower crowns and dandelion fields. I (You were a child of flower and dandelion fields. I remember you laid on the grass behind the school building and laid on the grass behind the school building and pulled me down too. I said I didn’t like sitting on the ground. You pulled me down too. I said I didn’t like sitting on the ground. You picked up a stray petal from a long-dead daisy and let go of it. picked up a stray petal from long-dead daisy let go of We watched it flutter back down.) We watched it flutter back down.)

They were playing hide-and-seek, those kids I saw. One of them

They were playing hide-and-seek, those kids I saw. One them was counting out loud, hands over her eyes, and the other was was counting out loud, hands over her eyes, and the other was trying to meld into the shadow of the slide. We never stopped to meld into the shadow of the slide. We never stopped playing that game; it’s just that the rules have changed—now that game; that the have changed—now we’re both hiding, eyes shut. we’re both hiding, eyes shut.

(Crafted marble and porcelain, that’s what we are. But hollow (Crafted marble and porcelain, that’s what we are. But hollow inside, a shell. The sculptor saw no use for a heart.) inside, The sculptor saw for a heart.)