Jewel-Osco brand single slice cake

Jewel-Osco brand single slice cake

tastes industrial 

eat it standing in the parking lot 

Want to spit it out every time it’s in my mouth 

Take another bite every time it’s not 

unhappiness along the assembly line 

unhappiness in my mouth 

Finish it and get in my car 

Get out my car and buy another 

Throw it away while my mouth is full 

Buy another, 

unhappiness unhappiness 

Cut myself on the plastic box 

And the frosting is a mess 

I eat half and let the devil take the rest.

Right now, Zaid Zaheer is either in or around Chicago. He works as a recess monitor and math tutor. In his free time, he walks in a field and strums his lyre. His work appeared in Seasonal Fruits, The Serendipity Archives, and elsewhere.