Flamin' Hot Cheetos

An ode to an infamous Chicano snack

Another unemployed summer I got laid off from my e-mail job

My benevolent capitalist boss needs a new vacation house

Couch surfing on mi amá’s house

I only sleep there

I post up in the nooks and crannies of the barrio

Park benches

Cafés

Public transport seats

Libraries…just to a name a few

A hidden oasis within the absence of paradise

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I eat my lunch on a quiet suburban park

In between writing poetry and doodling

I read a book I’ve been putting off to read in between breaks

A bee gently lands on my rim of my Arizona can

I scan the bee and my hand on its own begins to sketch the bee

After the bee is satiated by its sugary pick-me-up

It lands on my notepad

I flinch but it’s calm demeanor reassures me

It looks like it wants to take a closer look

Its eyes sparkle in the sunlight and lingers some more to admire the intricate detail between the graphite lines

It takes flight but zips around wanting to stay around but knows it has to go

I’ll see you around little homie