Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Eating
Working for checks
that might as well
not exist
my stomach
gurgling and growling
I talk to it
“I have no money.
What do you want me to do?
I’d fill you
with artichokes
and steaks
and scotch
every day
if I could.”
It lets out
a big fart
I agree
we decide to take a walk
my stomach and I
we walk by tapas bars
sushi bars
restaurants with
300-course meals
on teaspoons
silent stomachs
in the window
where the checks roll into
laughing mouths
it must be nice
it must be horrible
© 2011 Lee Kitzis
that might as well
not exist
my stomach
gurgling and growling
I talk to it
“I have no money.
What do you want me to do?
I’d fill you
with artichokes
and steaks
and scotch
every day
if I could.”
It lets out
a big fart
I agree
we decide to take a walk
my stomach and I
we walk by tapas bars
sushi bars
restaurants with
300-course meals
on teaspoons
silent stomachs
in the window
where the checks roll into
laughing mouths
it must be nice
it must be horrible
© 2011 Lee Kitzis
The Bell
They’ve placed a servant’s bell
at the liquor loft register
if a customer shows up
and we’re not there
they simply have to ring the bell
to get our attention
they placed it there
then they went downstairs
and upstairs
they went far away from the bell
while it rang
and rang
for six dollar pints of vodka
while it rang
and rang
for chew and lottery tickets
while it rang and rang
on our ears
and on the deaf
© 2011 Lee Kitzis
at the liquor loft register
if a customer shows up
and we’re not there
they simply have to ring the bell
to get our attention
they placed it there
then they went downstairs
and upstairs
they went far away from the bell
while it rang
and rang
for six dollar pints of vodka
while it rang
and rang
for chew and lottery tickets
while it rang and rang
on our ears
and on the deaf
© 2011 Lee Kitzis
The Man Who Screamed on the Train
I
He squeezed onto the train
elbowing a Chinese lady
brushing his crotch against a young blonde
There was a man next to him
his breath smelled awful
he was pockmarked and fat
like a well-fed feudal lord
the door closed
he noticed three people reading
the celebrity section of the morning paper
the train dragged
construction ahead
It came to a halt
the lights went out
everyone was silent
then an old lady
in a coffee-stained reindeer sweater
mentioned how excited she was
about crazy cupcake Friday at Jewel
to no one in particular
to anyone who would listen
this made the man sick
he opened his mouth and bent over
but nothing came out
he just dry heaved
and then
he screamed
he screamed
and he screamed
in full breaths
The veins in his neck bulged
like trapped anacondas
he screamed
like a man possessed
the newspapers dropped
the old lady left her cart of worthless shit
the passengers cleared the car
through both emergency exits
the man kept screaming
for some time
five people called in
a potential terrorist threat
and after 35 minutes
35 minutes of police negotiations
with a man who knew only one way of communicating
they shot him
one clean shot
to the head
he dropped
and stopped screaming
II
It was the first time
he had ever shot someone
he went home
and ate a Michelina’s microwave dinner
he didn’t feel bad
he didn’t feel good
he felt hungover
zapped
his wife asked him
what was wrong
his labrador looked at him
and tilted its head
he looked at it
he looked at it
then he opened his mouth
and did
what he had to do
© 2011 Lee Kitzis
He squeezed onto the train
elbowing a Chinese lady
brushing his crotch against a young blonde
There was a man next to him
his breath smelled awful
he was pockmarked and fat
like a well-fed feudal lord
the door closed
he noticed three people reading
the celebrity section of the morning paper
the train dragged
construction ahead
It came to a halt
the lights went out
everyone was silent
then an old lady
in a coffee-stained reindeer sweater
mentioned how excited she was
about crazy cupcake Friday at Jewel
to no one in particular
to anyone who would listen
this made the man sick
he opened his mouth and bent over
but nothing came out
he just dry heaved
and then
he screamed
he screamed
and he screamed
in full breaths
The veins in his neck bulged
like trapped anacondas
he screamed
like a man possessed
the newspapers dropped
the old lady left her cart of worthless shit
the passengers cleared the car
through both emergency exits
the man kept screaming
for some time
five people called in
a potential terrorist threat
and after 35 minutes
35 minutes of police negotiations
with a man who knew only one way of communicating
they shot him
one clean shot
to the head
he dropped
and stopped screaming
II
It was the first time
he had ever shot someone
he went home
and ate a Michelina’s microwave dinner
he didn’t feel bad
he didn’t feel good
he felt hungover
zapped
his wife asked him
what was wrong
his labrador looked at him
and tilted its head
he looked at it
he looked at it
then he opened his mouth
and did
what he had to do
© 2011 Lee Kitzis
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