Midwest Pop | Sadie Shuck Hinkel

Sadie Shuck Hinkel is a poet and teacher from the Midwest. Her work has been featured or is forthcoming in Yes Poetry, Drunk Monkeys, Maudlin House, and others. She lives with her husband Skyler and her cat Charlie.   Ode to The Olive Garden After forkfuls of Lasagna Fritta, Breana and I are punch drunk on garlic and raspberry lemonade. I turnsixteen tomorrow, and we are here because this is where wecome when we have something to celebrate. We get a shit-tonof breadsticks, speak into them like microphones. In between waiter visits, we host our own talk show. Behind us, the fireplace burns artificial flames. We glitterwith simulated glow. We talk about Hayley Williams’s yellow bangs, tell stories of girls who can actually changecolor. She pulls out my gift— an oversized handbag she picked out at Target. It is electric purple, like her favorite Sharpie that she uses to write out our playlistson CDs. Greed crackles like Pop Rocks under my tongue. I pretend that I can’t accept it, but of c