A veritable second incarnation of popcorn
immaculate microwave popcorn
holy popcorn reborn
A sofa-slouching second coming
shark-frenzy feeding session
the one-eyed wolves’ tearing fangs
No more hot oil messes
blistering splatter a fading memory
shout hallelujah and praise amen
No more muscular stirring of burning popping kernels
a witch’s sweaty boiling of bats or babies
a junkie’s rapt vigil over a blessed bent spoon
Just bang that bag in the astronaut oven
and beep beep beep
it’s instant gratification for that low-cal treat
Drown it in melted butter
a whole stick not a half
and sugar makes it taste like kettle corn
But coming off that popcorn high,
the next morning with those thin outer-hull skins
hard pericarp that could lead to a periodontist
Floss the hell out of their hiding places
bastards dug in Alabama-tick deep
jammed down insidiously between teeth and gums
The midnight snack festival that keeps on giving
festering for days with bloody irritation
extraction mission after mission failed
Every time I worship at the plumping bag-swirl shrine
I can’t help but wonder why I do this to myself
seek destined dental disease as addictive as crack
Lanning Lee 