6081. IN A LOW-GRADE STUPOR (luncheonette)

IN A LOW-GRADE STUPOR

(luncheonette)

Outside of Hank's New Luncheonette, everyone was

just standing around - no one really knew that word,

well, none of the young kids anyway. Those who were

twenty-five, if they weren't staring at their phone like

in-place morons at Hellespont Gate, were laughing

over the word, calling it quaint to know what it meant.

I didn't care, I don't eat such gruel anyway, but this

Hank guy, he had some balls to do what he did.

-

Opening a fifty-year old eating place as if it's been

there forever, like the lunch counter at an old

Woolworth's or Kresge's. Standing solid with the

grilled cheese and boiled eggs, the slab of nasty

meatloaf with a creamsauce from the dregs. A

wilted lettuce with some sick tomatoes. Yeah,

this will work, this is how money grows.

-

Nobody really said a word, they just panted

and bellied up to the faux linoleum counter,

in a low-grade stupor worth something. In a

real low-grade stupor worth something.