carnitas super burrito
has a beautiful rhythm to it
when said with the
“r” and the rolled “double r”
which i have carefully learned
to imitate so as to not be
misunderstood when ordering

i wonder if they ever put one
of these gastronomical monsters
on a scale to see just how far
it would tip before going over

my wager, having hefted one,
is for a pound and a half
plus a little
thankfully, the bulging tortilla
does not venture a guess
about where the needle
comes to rest for me

i pay for the foil-wrapped feast
which is carefully placed
in a plain brown bag “para llevar”
and handed to me, hot

so hot in fact that I quickly
shift my grip to just the corner
of the bag, and begin a slow fight
with gravity’s interest in my meal

but i am quick and clever
and soon the beast and i
are at table together where
it doesn’t take long to admit
that the burro is stronger than
my appetite and will only tolerate
being half-eaten tonight

not an hour later, the stomach
wakes up crying “feed me, feed me”
but i know exactly where the scale
and i stop being friends, so
i am eating grapes and chanting
“half a burrito is more than enough”

tonight, there will be guacamole dreams

Zetetic separator

—j.lewis is an internationally published poet, musician, and nurse practitioner. His poetry and music reflect the complexity of human interactions, sometimes drawing inspiration from his experience in healthcare. When he is not otherwise occupied, he is often on a kayak, exploring and photographing the waterways near his home in California.

One Response

  1. Roland Petrov
    at · Reply

    My mouth watered while reading this ode to the little donkey.

Leave a Reply