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This piece was selected as one of the winners of the AAA’s AnthroDay Student Unessay Competition . This year’s competition was inspired by the Annual Meeting theme, “On the Verge.”

My dish hesitated in my hand, unsure,

Eggplant slick along its side, sliding slow;

The cafeteria, spice-mix, an unknown blur,

Items jumbled with nowhere left to go.

Trays clattered, friends took their seats,

A mingled chorus of plates and forks;

I felt my heartbeat skip tiny beats,

Caught between the rules and quiet works.

Steel chairs scraped, the laughter rang,

Soy sauce and cumin filled the crowded room;

Samosas split, their spices sang,

Dumplings pleated, sealed in gentle bloom.

Steam curled from dumplings in neat little rows,

Samosas gleamed with golden spice;

I watched my classmates, their laughter flows,

Each bite a small leap, a silent slice.

A roasted chickpea rolled, mocking my grip,

Slid sideways, eluding my aim;

My pulse betrayed the tightrope tip,

This bite was not the same.

My…