“Sugar and Order I got one yellow, and one brown— though I think the brown was meant to be purple. Seven green. Three red. Four orange. I line them up, neat and bright— a little world of sugar and order. I’ll start with the yellow, and the brown-purple too. They don’t really fit the pattern, you know? Just cleaning up the set. Four greens next, and one orange— just enough to balance the rest. Now I’ve got threes. Three greens. Three reds. Three oranges. Perfect. Even. Neat. No yellow. No brown. The colors look good together now. Don’t you think? It’s easier on the eyes. Simpler. Cleaner. Just organizing. Just tidying up the mess. But the bowl feels lighter, somehow smaller, and the sweetness tastes a little—off. I only wanted balance, but somehow everything’s the same color now. And it doesn’t taste like candy anymore.” PoetryHumanityReflectionSocial Commentary Author:A.R. More, from the forthcoming Inside The Pause