Aurora Magazine 2008

A Pink Ticket by: Miranda Silotto

who’s behind you in the lunch line? look, but don’t make it obvious pretend you are tying your shoes they are velcro, and they are mended with that- ugly electrical tape

don’t draw attention to those

look behind you, and take that laminated Pink Ticket out of the pocket

of your navy blue sweatpants and hand it to the lunch lady

‘Round by: Nicole Timmons

she’s giving you one of those… closed-lip smiles both sides of her wrinkled mouth pucker

The Ferris wheel was like a constant firework Partially hidden behind the trees Deliberately spinning High to Low The shriek of a child Here and There But mostly men With their women Side to Side His eyes looking out

don’t look at her pink mouth

it will make you look down at the velcro and the tape and the scuffed linoleum tiles

you’ll think she’s feeling sorry

you look back, because this is the first time you’ve used a pink plastic ticket to pay for your lunch and it’s the last time.

Her eyes looking down Groans from the gears Below Floating up to the lights

tomorrow you’ll skip lunch you’ll stay hungry with your feet pulled up off the floor in the boy’s room.

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