In Eugene At the organic supermarket Only job open was the meat counter
Next day they interview My roommate for a cashier position Store opens Amanda
All other cashiers attractive college girls I see what’s going on here I didn’t
even eat meat I needed a job I’d have to put sausage stuff in the intestine casings
Sometimes I’d do a bad job Too much meat The casing would rip Start over At home
even after shower The smell of dead flesh on fingers Even after shower
Elizabeth smelled like apples carrots Smelled like fruit From the juicing plant
Genesis juice A Eugene institution Grateful Dead on the speakers Elizabeth
in her knee-high rubbers I quit the meat counter By that time I
was mostly Making marinades gallon buckets of marinades John didn’t want me to leave
After we locked the doors John, Justin and I Would drink beers
Waste away into the small hours After I quit Amanda let me use Her employee discount
Sometimes Justin let me use his employee discount Years later Justin and Amanda
would date This was Portland We all lived together Justin was in a band Justin’s friend
would stay with us A dealer from Alaska Trashcans filled with mushrooms weed
Sheets of acid Sometimes opium We had a roommate meeting Felt uncomfortable
Said Fuck it To be young To take so many risks Feeling reckless
He got caught Felt bad about that We’d all gone our separate ways A forgotten time
I’m losing the thread in Eugene I left the meat counter Worked at record store
No one really used my employee discount I used the hell out of it I was always broke
books beer records CDs too A gnat annoying me Right between the eyes Hitomi
in the kitchen pork sizzing in the pan Emma rubbing her stomach
Exaggerated motions True hunger When’s the last time you had animal flesh In your mouth
Maybe 18 maybe 20 Does fish count An unwritten novel on Unfortunate compromises
“An unwritten novel on Unfortunate compromises” I love this.