ode to a stoppered gut

i will bathe you in all manners

of indulgence if you will agree

to end this interminable state

of affairs--double-stacked cheeseburgers,

extra onions & deep fried anything, the companion

milkshake. for breakfast, coffee &

spiced teas with lemon peel, scones filled

with berries & chocolate. thick artesian

breads stuffed with three different kinds of ham

& cheese & oil flaked with olives & capers. see

how my arteries tighten

for you, chips of plaque held close,

tacked to the walls

like duran duran posters. they glisten

with the sweat of last night's meringue

& a delicate sauce of sparkling

water & commodity syrup,

a bubbly reduction, the relief of knowing

air still finds passage somewhere.