Words by: Ash Dowling
Art by: Sasha Clancy

my mum used to dish it out for me
but she would never give me enough
then came the day that I could
get it for myself and I heaped it
high as my Jenga blocks, carefree

until middle school
when I worried that dairy
gave me pimples so I gave myself
less and less
until I stopped
and left it rotting in the fridge like
my self-confidence

I gingerly took it out again
when I was seventeen
a hesitant treat, a shy display of
vanilla affection,
a peace offering to myself

and when we had made amends
it brought strength to my bones and
I moved to the other side of the world
for a season, where I had yoghurt
every morning and night
portions only limited by my budget
and the space in a fridge shared
by nine strangers
who became friends and we would
eat yoghurt together in five different languages

I came back home and found
there are still discoveries to be made
in familiar places
I was diagnosed with IBS,
so, I switched to lactose-free yoghurt and
it tasted even sweeter than before.