Lantern Review: Issue 5
you notice only when you drink
just the right drink,
hear just the right song
But I don’t remember his face.
(turns to Kronos)
I can deconstruct his death in twenty different ways
but his face, his voice,
are strange to me now
18
(beat)
I would never forget his face.
(beat)
But you forgot his face easy
washed it down the drain with
the rest of your roots.
38
Oh, really.
28
She’s right
Look at you
Goddamn, the way you talk and dress
no one would ever guess that you’re from East Side San Jo'
That you used to both ball and case manage
in the places you’re afraid to drive your BMW now
Takeo Rivera
18
You ain’t even Miss Saigon
You’re fuckin white
38
(quietly, turning her back to them)
Shut up.
18
Aw hell no.
That’s the last time you’re gonna tell me
to shut up,
you fuckin banana
(begins pushing 38 violently)
Now you listen to me,
you stuckup whitewashed bitch—
38
(turns to 28)
You tell her how hard it is—
you tell her how pointless
it feels in the goddamn real world,
that there’s a goddamn reason
why you will quit!
(28 looks conflicted)
18
No, you look at me.