Tasting My Way Home

Abigail Cheng, Honorable Mention
3rd Grade
San Francisco

Two long years
Today’s finally the day
I walk in the bakery
The mochi catches my eye
An invitation to take me
Where it feels like home
Like Taiwan, a round white ball, an island
In a sea of pastries

The outer layer
Dense and sweet
Busy and crowded
Like the city of Taipei
With people, buses, trains, and laughter!

The smells so tempting
I want to jump right in
But the outer layer’s
Just an introduction
If you really want to know mochi
You have to bite right to the heart

The center so creamy and calm
Just like the quiet hills
Of the heart of Taiwan
You only hear water trickling down the road
And a few birds chirping

So I take one bite
Memories parade toward me
The mochi’s layers bursting at me
A taste from the bakery
Is a memory from Taiwan