Zach

by Scott Merrill

thank you, zach

 
This kid, 22 or so, 
tanned face, styled wavy brown hair, 
he sez:
hi I’m zach and I’ll be your server,
can i get you all started with drinks?
inside I’m groaning. 

the night goes okay for a while
other than my brother’s
sitting across from me is like
walking on explosive eggshells
but he’s being good for some reason
so I think all's safe.

But this, let’s go out to eat
at this expensive restaurant for our stepfather’s 72’d
with his bigoted relatives from jersey in tow
who I’ve never met,
trumpers through and through, 
all while the jews 
are without a doubt killing palestinians
as they wait for a cup of rice
and the ICE meatheads are throwing people in vans
and shooting people in the streets...

But there I am. Part of the well fed herd while
the bone in the rib-eye steaks are joked about
because they look like tomahawks and where’s
my sense of humor?; 

I could no doubt use it by the
time my chicken pecata comes out. 
I’ve already eaten some calamari,
which I told my brother was actually
pig sphincter. My attempt at humor
and I figured he believes in chemtrails so
why not introduce another conspiracy.

All the food is commented on as sufficient,
even pretty good,
as it’s stuffed away, and then our stepfather gives
a speech.

My mother tears up and I notice my
brother does too. jesus.

I tell our stepfather I love him 
but I’m not feeling the moment quite 
like they are....

I’m still thinking about all this food.
and zach the waiter.

I wonder what he does when he’s not pretending to
be someone else.

I am zach...

after the speech, he comes by
and starts cleaning off the table,

he takes the half plate

of calamari and I say, 'are you going to throw that away?'

He stutters, I can...
a bag or a box, I say.

This brings a condescending laugh from my brother 
as he compares me to his
mother in-law who’s very rude in public apparently
and I remind him people are being killed 
while they line up for food.

he doesn’t say a word.

I was about to ask if he'd seen the videos
of flattened cities and dead children when
zach returns just in time with a nice box. 

after empty hugs
we all filter out.