The City High Review

Blood is thicker than water

But maple syrup is thicker than both

So therefore we should forgo

The words of our ancestors and worship pancakes instead

As their fluffy surface flows with the sugary goodness

That outdoes the pulsing liquid’s requirements to be superior to others

It’s their rules, not ours

Blood is thicker than water

But molasses is thicker than both

So therefore we should think of gingerbread cookies

As totems of power and importance

And celebrate their creation over the birth of a baby

As their blood is not as viscous as the gingerbread’s

It’s their rules, not ours

Blood is thicker than water

But honey is thicker than both

So therefore we should praise the bees that make the golden sugar

And give them gifts respecting their hard work

And skip grandparents’ birthdays since their red life flow

Is thinner than the yellow bee mucus

It’s their rules, not ours

Blood is thicker than water

But what does that really mean?