“We must live thriftily,” he said
to the next generation, waving
a pencil extender, with
not a little melodrama, and not a little hope.

The next generation suppressed
an eyeroll out of self-preservation,
and continued to write with
the newly-opened European box of pencils.

“We must live thriftily,” he said
with glee the next day, to
no one in particular, on finding
a stash of unused Christmas cards circa 1996.

The next generation was running
lights and air-conditioning in two rooms,
while using rivers of water
and paint for watercolour homework.

“We must live thriftily,” he said
to the next generation triumphantly,
heart soaring with prudence, as he printed
school assignments on the back of old presentations.

The next generation sighed, having
exhausted the what-noo-pleease cycle
of protest, and got down to work,
a new case of Japanese correction tape beside him.
————

Ping Yi works in public service and has written fiction, travelogues, and poetry since 1989, but is terrified to seek publication. He has lived in Singapore, Boston, and Cambridge (UK), and needs Neil Gaiman to sign his copy of Good Omens, which Terry Pratchett did sign.