After hearing a doctor commend
the virtues of a healthy diet on tv,
I read every word on the bread wrapper,
and every word on the cereal box
to inform myself on building materials
I was using to maintain my body.
I notified my blue collar stomach
of provisions entering the work zone
to bathe my bones in a calcium fricassee,
boost my muscles with a sauce of iron,
and build a steadfastly more stable me.
Reading the names of preservatives
I brighten at the chance for a longer stay.
As it turns out, anything that lasts forever
on the shelf won’t help me last another day.