Tuesday, March 14, 2023

starvation diet

i help my
vegetarian friend Olive
up from the couch.
her legs are about
to give way.
she's only fifty
but looks closer
to ninety-five,
sallow cheeks,
sunken eyes.
she's pale, a little green from
all that broccoli
and kale.
she couldn't spell cat
if you spotted her
the c and the t.
she's not dumb, or has
special needs,
she's just malnourished
from eating
nothing but
legumes and beans.
yesterday i caught
her crying,
because she was too weak
to open
a bag of peas.

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