circular staircase

Giving Butter

By DjinniRB

the winter of madeleines

Lemon sweet and pound cake light

I was giving up on giving up butter

That joke was naturally followed by

a season of stomach crunches

My abs appreciated nothing

summers of running followed close behind

fueled by Cap’n Crunch,

undiagnosed hypoglycemia

Tissues starved for fuel

Capillaries bursting like June ripe plums,

which coincidentally I also wasn’t supposed to eat

my eyes were rain swollen tomatoes

Grown so big I could see into the future

Overwhelming thirst and craving sweet

every step took me from wellness

Pounding pavement in an ancient rhythm

Clutching for that runner’s high on familiar sidewalks

slipping pretty into my pocket with my overpriced Contiga

everyone told me I looked great

So I ran past my better judgement and all the warnings signs

Sugar runs the blood on both sides

Dad joked you can’t expect to keep all your fingers all your life

My doctor asked what I was playing at

Tired so tired

from late night bathroom runs

the weight melting away in crunchy spoonfuls

As I relish my ever slipping waistband

Good for you, so proud

passersby would yell out

My ankles gave up dragging my ACL behind

Rolling in search of a fainting couch

or an equally exhausted metaphor

Still have that madeleine baking sheet

Silvery scalloped concaves beacons butter yellow batter

with dried lavender and nutmeg