living large

you lived
on crackers and cheese,
bologna
cut into thick
slices
and laid
down on a bed
of white
bread with a squirt
of mustard
as a kid.
whole milk
and oreo cookies
when you
could get them.
on thanksgiving
the church
left a basket of
food
on the porch.
a twenty pound
turkey. all of
which made your
mother cry
as she turned
on the oven
and boiled potatoes.
you may have been
six feet tall
had you eaten one
nutritious meal
between the ages
of ten
and fifteen.
but you survived.
there were
always an apple
or cherry tree
nearby, or
an unattended
tray
of pastries
at the local
drugstore with
which to raid.