Kitchen

by Jack Garrett

The kitchen is alive with sounds

refrigerator humming

Steam pipes hissing, gaining in pressure and in pitch

Then, as if they were about to explode, they suddenly release their pressure in a long orgasmic sigh.

A baby rat crawls around in the stove

Another, possibly larger, I can hear near a hole in the wall that the plumber made.

Sometimes, when there's a lot of shit in the sink, there are so many roaches crawling around

on the pots, pans, and silverware, that I can actually hear them all moving around.

When my ear removes itself from its immediate space, I can hear the junkies upstairs, clomping around,

calling for their fucking cat, yelling, fighting, clomping up and down the fucking stairs

yelling "Meow, Meow."

There's definitely some kind of rodent by the refrigerator, I can hear him moving.

The refrigerator just shut off.

© Jack Garrett

Jack Garrett was an artist, actor, writer, and musician extraordinaire. He played keyboards and guitar for several rock bands well known in the downtown NYC area during the 1970s and ‘80s and opened for the Ramones as well as for U2 with his band the Nitecaps during U2’s 1980s European tour. He leaves a treasure trove of art, music, and writing. Mr. Garrett had been put on warning at more than one job for doodling at his desk.

He passed on September 28, 2011.