The Absence of a Diet Coke
Can I get diet capitalism?
by Alex Gurtis
Outside the ruins of an old factory, children play among the
shards of glass. A friend once told me, "sadness is spiritual
organ failure." The inability to pay my rent or buy groceries
while working for the state is state failure. For three weeks
I’ve checked my bank account for a paycheck. Working in
education is a type of trauma. What is an economy where a
credit card rejects a Diet Coke? Can I get diet capitalism?
Even the best of us lives on the happiness of borrowed time
like overhearing a countdown but never getting to
experience the payoff of a single job that pays for the house,
food, and what little enjoyment life can find. Is America,
America if we replace her rotting planks of money with fruit
and wine? An email tells me to be patient. I forward it to my
bank
Alex Gurtis is the author of the chapbook When the Ocean Comes to Me (Bottlecap Press, 2024). A ruth weiss Foundation Maverick Poet Award Finalist, Alex received his MFA from the University of Central Florida. His work as a poet and critic has appeared in or is forthcoming in anthologies and publications such as Autofocus, HAD, Identity Theory, and Rejection Letters.
