Sugar Town

Sugar Town After diabetes occluded My fathers’s vision And left him unable To drive a car, he’d pilot His riding lawnmower To the reservation trading post And buy Wonder Bread And generic maple syrup So he could make his slow Suicide version of French toast. Child’s Bible Once upon a time On our reservation The only food In our house Was a half-empty box Of sugar cubes. My sisters and I Rationed them For most of a day. They did nothing To quell our hunger But we learned There’s sweetness Inside every little hell. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shermanalexie.substack.com/subscribe