Nico Santana, Quezon City Nico Santana is a writer who's worked on tons of different things, from newsletters to game scripts to trivia questions. His ultimate ambition is to write a Calculus Poem so good, it tricks people into liking math.



Lazy Susan


Lady of the table,
whose worship I
have not learned:
please forgive my 
manners, the way
that I need a spoon
for my dumplings.

If I could translate
my nervous silence into  
a voice laden with 
courage, I’d ask you
to pass the sweet
and sour pork by 
myself, but here is
a fistful of rice – 
here is a prayer for
the people who will
sit in this same spot,
long after my soup
has gone cold and
all the vegetables 
have rotted:

may their tongues go 
unscalded, and may
their chopsticks snap
clean down the middle,
and may they have the
courage to answer every
question your ahma will
ask. I have talked this

circle into the shape of
an open mouth, into an
apology for my silence,
and now all I’ve left is
hope – that when they
find themselves with 
empty plates, they will

know to stay a bit longer
after they have said
their thanks.