THE PIT by Zac Dunn | Art by S. Putnik

The mirror
By Zac Dunn
Art by S. Putnik

Published Issue 112, April 2023

Barf in the ball pit again …

The disgruntled custodian 

Emerges from his lair 

A cold sweat upon his brow 

A gaggle of kids leap into the mess 

The pungent spew adhering to their 

Tiny bodies like a fuzzy gummy bear 

under the bucket seat 

The custodian approached the mess 

Demanding that the children leave the vomit-soaked cauldron of joy immediately

NO ONE IS LISTENING 

Then the spheres undulate shifting 

The spew and sick violently 

One lad leans back and forth

His eyes touch the ceiling 

Everyone screams bloody murder 

As he opens his fire hydrant of 

Pizza and 7up 

Blasting a chunky stream that splashes 

Directly into Henrietta’s wide open mouth 

She turns to look at the custodian 

Mouth in her palms and hiccups

her sick up on his shoes 

He reaches in his pocket for 

The tiny plastic nip bottle and grumbled 

THIS HORSE SHIT 

Then Timmy and Tommy and Bobby and Johnny and Jenny and Cindy and Siobane

And Zoe and Blair all stare at each other 

And bathe each other’s faces

The custodian removes the vodka nip 

From his pocket cracks it 

Inhales it and

Chucks it across the room angrily 

He grabs the broom 

And charges forward 

echoing a war cry 

Forward to the ball pit 

Of doom

Zac Dunn is a psycho-social mechanic, father, musician and dreamer. Check out his music and follow him on Twitter and Instagram.

Siena Goldman aka S. Putnik lives in her birthplace, Los Angeles, where she has spent her lifetime so far experimenting with the visual and musical arts. She loves working with pencil, pastel, watercolor, crayon and collage to convey interesting textures, color palettes, and moods in her multi-media artwork. As a 25 year old, she has spent a lot of life in school, uncomfortably switching districts and trying to fit in. Now, she is just stepping out yet again, this time stuck in the squeeze of birth as a young artist. Check out her Instagram.

Check out Zac’s last Birdy install, The mirror, and S. Putnik’s art from Issue 104 our or head to our Explore section to see more of their work.