Many Revolutions Prior

Poetry Prompt: random story about happiness

notification: red, unread, in fact

unwelcome popping into my head as I settle down to enjoy some tea,

that sudden memory of the time the barista said enjoy your coffee and I automatically said you too

or that time they asked if I wanted my meal with rice or noodles and I automatically said no, thinking they were asking about fancy topping extras,

the flavour is bittersweet: of knee-jerk angst but also a self-awareness enough to laugh about past mistakes.

Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她) wants to thank R. Rangan PhD for this prompt: science related to “happiness” or a story about happiness and how you relate to it.

Sure, this piece was mostly prompted by a comic strip by Nathan W. Pyle of social anxiety and missed opportunities, but in chuckling about this illustration, I’ve realized how far I’ve come in agonizing over dumb things I’ve said and how though they still have a tinge of cringe, they’re mostly laughable moments from the past.