The berries called to me yesterday
With an aroma that stopped me still.
I paused to breathe the delicious smell of perfectly ripened strawberries.
They were red and juicy,
And I thought, "I'll eat them tomorrow,"
For I have a frozen dinner in the microwave right now.

But berries won't wait,
And today I see
That something got to them before me.
Mold has come and ruined them. every one.

Was I worried about the carbs,
Or did jabs of guilt convince me
That I didn't deserve the best?
Or was it just easiest to reheat a tamale?

And so today I have black grapes,
Seedless and plump,
And yet the hum of the microwave
Beckons me,
The ding a ling ling of a digital triangle
Calls me to another sordid affair--
This one, some call breakfast.

-jenn