The Name Under the Tongue

The guy in the commercial is selling heartburn meds,

but he’s really the waiter from that movie we saw

back when I still thought you were worth the price of a ticket.

I’ve been chewing on his last name for three days.

It’s sitting right there behind my molars,

next to a scratched DVD case and a stack of bills

I’m pretending I haven't seen yet.

It’s a small, jagged piece of 2014

refusing to be swallowed,

keeping me from tasting my lunch.