The Beauty of Cooking by Alyssa Sales (California, 22)

she molds life through the cup of her palms
arrows slicing bullseye when she acts
with silver tipped precision

her footprints create forests in her wake
every step nurturing seaweed green
plants bursting gracefully to radiant life
​

the tap of her fingers birthed the
humming melody of light rain
during monsoon season

the words she whispers are
winged and brush each person’s
ears with the faint sound of bells

when she holds the knife in her hand
slender fingers curled in fierce determination
when her arm rocks back and forth like
the waves dancing under sunlight

only then does the red moon split
into two halves and dark ruby
liquid spills on the cutting board

with her arm high
she paints the pomegranate
sunrise in the abyss

the world sings for even Persephone
could not bring such joy and beauty
in the darkest of places


Alyssa Sales is 22 years old and is from the Bay Area, California. She is passionate about storytelling and use poetry as an outlet to reflect on herself, share her heritage, and advocate for a better world.