By: K.L. Marsh.

My mother’s hunger was obvious. Her hands shook as she reached for the plate, which I assured her was low calorie. She couldn’t remember yesterday, but she could remember that four almonds was enough to be full. At my day job, when I wasn’t at the home with her, I patented climate-resistant rice, modified to fit a meal’s nutrients in a serving. At one point, I devised a soybean that turned purple if it spoiled and contained four grams of protein. All my scholarship was to create sating food, but none yet was able to make my mom eat it.

© 2025. K.L. Marsh

K.L. Marsh is a writer from New Orleans who now lives in New York. She focuses on chronic illness, climate, queerness, and the digital world. She is not a robot, but sometimes wishes she was. Find her at kl-marsh.com.

Posted May 14, 2025.