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

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

5 Hours and 58 Minutes Left on My Shift

I wanna run out the door
down the street
take the first bus
to anywhere
leave the clock running
while the bag ladies
and thieves
wait
for free tickets
and cigarettes
leave the clock
wondering
and waiting
on nothing
while stalkers finger flowers
and old men ask the price
of a million things
they can’t buy
leave it
leave it
with 30 minutes for lunch
a bad back
and 5 dollars
leave it
leave it
but I can’t
because I’m on the clock
and the clock’s got me
with 5 hours and 50 minutes to go

© 2011 Lee Kitzis

The Crack Smoking Car

I got on the blue line
at about 7:30 in the morning

it was Sunday
so there were very few people in my car

a couple
of middle-aged Ukrainian women

a stocky Mexican lady
with sad puppy dog eyes

and a bad drunk
a homeless man with long greasy white hair
and a weathered face like an old bike seat

he looked at me
and said

"Hey you! This is a crack smoking car!
If you're gonna be on this car you gotta smoke crack!
It's...up to you..."

he dropped his head

either nodding off
or holding back puke

the middle-aged Ukrainian ladies kept talking
in what seemed like an endless stream
of Borscht Belt bullshit

the Mexican lady
looked out the window

at nothing

at the wall going by

when I got up to leave

the bike seat

looked at me

and mumbled something

I couldn't make out

maybe about crack

maybe how to cook a good stuffed pepper

but the doors closed

and I never knew

© 2011 Lee Kitzis

Lottery Tickets and Fake Shits

The speakers
blare 90s hits about
soaking up the sun
and living in the sun

I check losing lottery tickets
and fill the cooler
while outside young money
slips on ice

it's a kind of paradise

I ask my boss for a bathroom break

she scowls and says "go ahead"

I sit in the stall
and plan my next move

a long sigh
then I flush for appearances

when I get back
there's a man standing at the register
he has a dirty White Sox hoodie on
and bedhead hair

he gives me his instant win ticket

"I know I keep getting taken," he says

"but I just keep playing."

NOT A WINNER
the screen flashes

I tear up his ticket
he thanks me
and walks away

off into the ice

off into paradise

thinking
one day
maybe

© 2011 Lee Kitzis

Black Coffee

I drink black coffee
and listen to Bird play the horn
effortless

like he's taking out the trash

as if to say

we are all dying
little by little

and everything is right
with the world

while it blizzards

and everyone
struggles with shovels

and starting cars

dying
little by little

till they're left
at the side of the road

on some unforgiving
six degree
Midwestern night

or sold for scrap

and everything is right

with the world

dying out

at the end of its song

Bird lights a cigarette

and smiles

© 2011 Lee Kitzis

December 31, 2010

New Year's Eve

everyone's asleep in the cafeteria

no holiday bonus
not even so much as a thank you note

the crowd files downstairs
good wholesome families
3 kids
paid vacation

the product
of Veuve Clicquot
and missionary sex

New Year's Eve
not even so much as a thank you note

they put on their white aprons
and move to the spaghetti bar

the poor
the beaten

sleep creases all over their faces

while the meatballs wait
plump and ready

© 2011 Lee Kitzis