When I was seven,
My dad decided to smash everything
he’d bought for my mom in Italy:
clay sculptures of mythological figures, antique vases,
he threw each one against the kitchen wall.

We ignored it for weeks,
this pile of ceramic shards,
and the broken faces of frowning old gods.

Rowland Smith (They/Them) is a Korean-American writer based in Santa Clarita California. Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Rowland earned their BA in English Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2022. They are currently pursuing an MFA at the California Institute of the Arts.