Snack and Other Poems

By Andrew Ban

Snack

It's dark out 
It’s cold out 
Any moment now the sun might come out 
But i can still hear the sounds of people moving
people struggling 
people trying their best to live 
I thought I wasn't getting much sleep these days 
These people don't sleep at all
I lay in my bed
My body devoured 
staring up in the ceiling 
I think to myself 
It must be freezing cold outside
How can those people have the motivation to go out? 
I feel a chill down my spine 
Somethings not right but I don't know what
I think eating a snack would solve the problem
I stand up and go look for some food
A tuna can, some leftover chicken and some ramen
Today’s hunt was successful I thought 
I will make it my mission to finish this as fast as I can
I dig in quickly 
I eat till there is nothing left 
except the bones.  

Netflix

I saw my dad become a prisoner when I was young
I only knew him for a couple years before he got sent in
I kept my emotions hidden in my mind my whole life
Or more so I had to assassinate them 
I had two jobs that took up most of my time 
I needed the two jobs to support myself during the inflation  
I considered stopping and just retiring 
Receiving the notice that I had been diagnosed 
I became depressed and spent most of my time getting treated
Or watching Netflix
By that point the feelings I had was starting to revive 
But it was still tightly locked 
My skin was as pale as a ghost just a few steps away from being transparent 
I saw myself looking up at the sky 
At the stars and at the unknown 
When faced with death even money can't save you 
I stare out in the space into the unknown 
Where I’m looking at everything but at the same time nothing
As I feel my breathe getting shorter and shorter 

Sunny side up

My sense of direction has become dull after running so much 
I drag my feet across the floor without a destination
There I see an inn ahead of me I am saved
I sit down and order a sunny side egg 
They gave me a scrambled egg but I’ll take it 
I look and stare out the window 
Over the horizon I see the sun go down
I close my eyes and think about the past 
I stop and go for a nice bath the steam fills up the bathroom 
A small room with a bath costs me 100 bucks 
This inflation is killing me 
I walk out the bath and see the room filled with little dust and particles
I take out the vacuum and start cleaning 
A peaceful life and a quit one I will live I thought 
The past hurts I have taken too much damage 
I deserve this I deserve to rest, laying on the floor ready to sleep
The indoor chandelier turns into the sun, I look around the room.

Andrew Ban is a student attending Seoul International School in South Korea. He loves writing in his free time, and his other hobbies include cross-country and bike riding. He has recently published in Inlandia: A Literary Journal, Dunes Review, The Elevation Review,  Rigorous and Mortal Magazine.