my hands are shaking
and i haven’t known where i am since the 2nd grade
because that’s the last time a teacher
told me how to get to the cafeteria
in order to get some food,
but now it feels like i’m having to fend for myself,
you know, except with all the amenities of modern day living
to accompany my disillusionment
lonely brunches spent reading meandering
news stories that seem to all end in the same tragedy
while the horizon bleeds fresh air
and kids with crazy glue run around
the tables and play pranks by tying shoelaces
to utensils and calling it fun
my cat keeps following me around,
I think she’s planning something,
maybe reporting back to my wife
all the gross things I do when I think I’m alone,
or maybe she thinks I don’t have any friends
and feels like she needs to be my pity friend,
or maybe it’s because I seem to be able to tolerate the smell of her cat poops
so she figured I might be ok after all, I can still stay
in her house
Fred Aiken Writing 