My Cardboard Balcony

The Unfortunate by Belinda Roddie You can bury a book deep in the sand dunes of an ancient desert king's cold mausoleum, still cold even in the intruding sun where ice does not exist, only sand and sun and king's skulls. Who knows if extra- special terrestrials will unearth your sad relic of human decency, and the ink still stands the test of time, still black, like ash on a dead monarch's face.

How much did I learn today? I learned that in some illustrations of fairy tales, a beast looks like an overgrown, maneless lion, and the damsel is prettier with curly hair. I learned that sometimes over-rewarding is punitive, baked potato skins can make your stomach cry, and milk is always a good go-to for spicy reflux. So how much did I learn? A handful.