---

Suraja Roychowdhury

Sugar and Spice. . .

The little girl tiptoed into the room. She really, really wanted this, but was sure her mother would say no. But Dad? He was a possibility. She could see his head above the chair as she came closer; could hear the rustling of the newspaper as he drank his morning cup of tea.

between the teacup
and the saucer
a clink

She gulped and came closer, her heart beating hard.

           between the tea
           and a sip
           an inhale

“Dad?”  she said softly, as she snuggled up to him, smiling winningly.

                          between a question
                          and an answer—
                          possibilities

---

About the Author

Suraja Roychowdhury is originally from India, now living in Lexington, Massachusetts. She is a Chinese Medicine practitioner who loves writing haiku, tanka, haibun, haiga, and other Oriental poetic forms.