An Adage of Pizza Day
Poem
When its late at night and all you hear is the wind
rattling your window pane and a distant siren
singing like a chihuahua at passersby,
you might think loneliness is a simple matter
of spending too much time in your cubicle
constructed of the four walls of self-hate:
should have, could have, would have,
already have and wish otherwise.
To some extent loneliness is consequential,
but is more like trading your homemade
sandwich for your friend’s school lunch
because its pizza, only to realize
how rubbery and tasteless it is
after taking a bite and swallowing.
Some tradeoff.
My mom used to say that if you
don’t have anything nice to say
don’t say anything at all.
I guess you should stay seated,
watch your friend eat your homemade
sandwich, and say nothing.
Don’t bother taking your sad pizza tray
and trading it with the homely lunch lady
for a serving from her fresh pan of meatloaf.
My mom also used to say that you get
what you ask for. As per you with your
little tray of inedibles, sitting in
obedient silence, no one deserves such
unnecessary solitude on pizza day
or any other day of the week.
more by A. M. Laine
photograph by Jamie MacPherson
