Alice Rose: Mourning Potion

Photo: Joanna C. Valente

Mourning Potion

For the relief of grief - to be taken once daily

1 tsp of lemon juice

1 tsp of chamomile tea

2 dock leaves

4 drops of their favourite nail polish

1/2 a cotton pillowcase soaked in tears

A facebook message from someone you haven't spoken to in over a year, offering their condolences

A tooth from their best grin

The last page of their favourite book

A handful of freshly cut grass

A sea shell or pebble from the last beach you visited together

6 shots of your favourite cordial

6 shots of your favourite spirit

To combine, place all ingredients in a mortar and pestle, hum a lullaby, then transfer to a Boston Shaker. Shake well.

For best results, pair with 731 hours of binged television.

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Alice Rose (she/her) holds an MA from the University of Hertfordshire. Shortlisted for the Bath Flash Fiction Award (Feb 2017), Rose has also been published at Crêpe & Penn, Fiction Kitchen Berlin, Prismatica and others. Rose writes from her small, St Albans flat, feeding other people’s cats and attempting to keep her plants alive. You can find her at alicerwrites.wordpress.com or on Twitter @a1ice_r0se