Food Court Ghost Town, and Tired of Regular Apples
- Food Court Ghost Town, and Tired of Regular Apples
Food Court Ghost Town
The legends of American lifedo not specify how to value youth,our time in & out of school& movie theaters, how to not wantjust one new thing when I'm all outof money again. The kids goto Shoppingtown USA just to killa little time. When K calledabout her friend who wasn't shotoutside the Cinnabon but losta baby anyway, from the stressof it all, I went to see a movieabout cowboys. Migratory birdsnested in the food court, righteouslyshat in my three-dollar burrito,& maybe I needed it, sitting alonelike I own every place I thinkbig thoughts in. In the movie,even the toughest men sit to drink& laugh before slinging their gunsfor no good reason. What if we gatherlike their horses at the trough beforegalloping at the blazing horizon.Maybe we can buck off our riders.Maybe the sunset won't be red. [End Page 8]
Tired of Regular Apples
Not even the fresh produce sectioncan save me. Not even the ugly rowsof dirt between the trees. Not evenarriving fifteen minutes early to a movie,or fifteen minutes late, or right on time.Not even leaving my friend's houseafter we sing. Not even donating $20to a kid for Pokémon cards. Not evensleeping with myself in a dream.Not even gaining devoted followers,the kind who walk me down the streetlike a smiling balloon. Not even family,or drunkenness, or submitting myselfto the will of beautiful men can save me.What do I do with the hours of my life.There are over 7,500 varieties of appleon this little planet alone.Don't think I won't count them. [End Page 9]
Jakob Maier is the managing editor of Peach Mag. He received his MFA from Syracuse University and was a finalist for the 2018 Metatron Prize and Foundlings Press's inaugural Wallace Award.
