Zach Gilkey

Unsorted

The Meal

I saw you the other day,
and your thoughts flooded my mind —
like an unwanted order of food.

Still, I ate.
Not because I was hungry,
but because you kept
putting it on my plate.

The flies in this room —
this place is a wreck.
The smell alone
would make a skunk faint.

Like orange juice and toothpaste,
your flavor contaminated my mouth.
A reminder that,
regardless of what I want —
some meals
are not mine to eat.

← Back to Writings