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| Fadi Imane |
Lip Service
Someone says what you want to hear so you call it a
day like old bread that’s edible yet not an ideal meal
because settling for crumbs is the Poorman’s validation
in the same way sweet nothings live up to their name.
We take things to heart most when we’re hollow and
hungry, so customers order ahead and mobile orders
pile up at the coffee shop where anyone can walk
away with a drink that’s not theirs. But some kind
of honor system exists in a world of caffeine and
convenience—thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s
wife or latte. The church next door to me just installed
a new fence to keep people off their property, but isn't
sealing off sanctity the opposite of what Jesus wants?
I ate a burrito for lunch while watching college football
on January 2nd because win or lose, the day after any
holiday is just as celebratory, worthy of a hearty bean
and cheese type of communion. The are days when
our heads fall into prayer or self-preservation, and
what gets us through it all at times like this is the sort
of unexplained pep talk we mysteriously get, as if a
whispering in your ear that you can’t put into words
but is like the bright side beginning to look up, like
the sweet scent of yeast rising.
Enjoy other posts by Daniel Romo HERE.
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| Daniel Romo |
Daniel Romo is the author of American Manscape (Moon Tide Press 2026), Bum Knees and Grieving Sunsets (FlowerSong Press 2023), Moonlighting as an Avalanche (Tebot Bach 2021), and other books. His work can be found in The Los Angeles Review, MAYDAY, Yemassee, and elsewhere. He received an MFA from Queens University of Charlotte and lives, writes, and rides his bike in Long Beach, CA. More at danieljromo.com.
