value

McDonald’s I go, the regular sides. value: EXTRALARGE diet coke, dollar, more than I bargain for. Every time.

Neil, seventy-eight storyteller across Gary, same age. plays warcraft, why not.

Yoshi, kauai-banned. Michael, highway sign painter. Henry, toothy laughter. friends, a million years, sure.

Carlos and Dorothy, reading newspapers and faces. Barbara, who eats Popeye’s.

Kentaro, teaches science, studies women. Joe, saw sinatra sing. live.

Ron, runs neighborhood board. Sue, runs bert’s café.

Despite notebook, I talk, never write. Never get any writing done. Can’t figure out why.

Don’t mind though. Real folks. Fake food.

Cheap, simple, disposable—and anything but.