I stoop down to pick up
A red Solo cup
Discarded the night before
Strewn haphazardly about the yard
Like many of its brothers
From the party next door
Ants inspect the rim
While others drown
In the orange liquid remains
What was contained within?
Did the person who drank it even know?
Was it enjoyed responsibly?
It seems unlikely
Has it led to regret
For the one who consumed it?
Or perhaps for another?
A victim of seizing the day
Yet another careless moment?
In a young life filled with many
Or maybe a first taste of liberty?
The cup offers no other answers
As it sits in the sun
Abandoned by its owner
No longer needed and forgotten
Waiting for another to take responsibility
The short weekend is almost over
The long semester has just begun