Mountain Dew

You do not want to hear me cry I’m hungry Must I hide from YOU all that is painful In your palace? Mother works a bit, weeding and at the market Sundays. Daddy is here and Not here I’m hungry [ I chew my lip. My tongue makes a wet circle from chapped corner to chapped corner.] Daddies home no one hired him today, no one hired him yesterday. Beer bottles stack up in his truck. Sometimes he brings me and the baby Mountain Dew! It’s cheaper than milk Ma says! While Ma works in the neighbors garden weeding I fill the babies bottle with orange soda, his tongue turns color We laugh in the mirror. I’m so hungry, but I know you don’t want to know that. I see her, look baby she has a brown bag! Red tomatoes, green and yellow squash roll across the old kitchen table. Get the fry pan honey Ma smiles…. The corn oil sizzles on the black caste iron, as she tosses in the sliced Veggies…I lick my lips The door of Dad’s truck opens..and he stumbles head down toward the backdoor. Daddy smiles. “What’s for dinner.” he says. He takes a raw squash and bites. “What NO meat?” “God, I’m hungry” *In America 1 out of seven families today are on food assistance.