A POEM by BRIANNA BOOKER
Petition for Vegetarian McNuggets
And if you had a McDonald's birthday party, you were rich. That's not something that could be handed down, like clothes or movies or Barbie Jeeps. My Kindergarten boyfriend had a PlayPlace birthday party, which meant he was a millionaire and that's why I liked him. He's gay now. I always liked McNuggets best; forget the Sprite, and I've never even had a Big Mac. I'm vegetarian now, so I probably never will. Even if they got Impossible or Beyond or black bean patties, I fucking hate condiments and Big Mac sauce is not likely to be an exception. Jack used to argue with me about where the best nuggets were from. He'd never turn down Burger King, and Wendy's came after, but McD's is the best for nuggets. He'd never let it rest. He'd argue the crispier crust and juicier meat made them superior. He once let me know Wendy's had the most banging chicken sandwiches, but we never argued that nuggets, no matter where, were the best fast food menu item. When I got the call that he was gone for good this time, I remember wanting nothing more than to have some McNuggets in front of me, baiting him like a cat, as some sort of way to lure him to me in a fruitless effort to prove that no, Jack is not dead, our friends are simply playing some big prank on me like the boys at school who'd ask me out and laugh when I saw through it. On his birthday, or his death day, I think about cheating, about eating myself sick with grief on McNuggets. I don't think I miss much now that I don't eat meat, but I do miss chicken nuggets and maybe that's why. Jack would be happy that I finally wrote something for him. He'd say fuck the Big Mac sauce packets; eat your nuggets with ranch dressing mixed with ketchup. Or with coke and strippers. He liked those, too. I bet he's having a great time at the McDonald's PlayPlace in the sky.
Brianna Booker (she/they) is an autistic Jewish-American who writes about identities (or lack thereof). She founded and still runs Popcorn Poetry in her local non-profit movie theater. Brianna is the CCO at #nomorepoems presents publishing, where she also co-authored the chapbook, “Just Two Kids.” She received her BA in Creative Writing & English from SNHU. They are the inaugural poet laureate of Monroe County, Pennsylvania.