Banned in every state except Pennsylvania
research linked the consumption
to nearly all deaths, so
no more pizza in America
except at home, with a cigarette
yet Pennsylvania persisted
specifically Pittsburgh, it was the last city
to institute,
a pizza ban
before though, I found the last piece
for sale at Tony’s
and ate that pizza with a beer
now in the hospital
no pizza, no beer, just a memory
triangles of temptation,
tears at Tony’s
as my children eat Asian pears
as my grandchildren drink kombucha
I slowly pass, degrade with the cardboard boxes
slip into a puddle of grease
the white paper plates held between forefinger and thumb
American anthems retune, trends come
healthizza is here, plant-based forever
to Tony’s to persist, each generation to succumb
Last Pizza in Pittsburgh
Morning Routine
It was coffee,
then a smoothie, a blueberry bar, and vegan breakfast burrito
next twenty minutes meditating, fifteen reading personal growth posts
a five-mile loop running at the threshold, yoga, journaling longhand, and positive thinking
until one morning, the coffee was gone,
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, and saw I had forgotten, to shave
for thirteen years.
Underneath the hair, I felt a strange face
one that belonged, to the night
with a razor it revealed
the evening routine
and now each morning
I sleep, then shower, and go to work
sipping coffee in the car,
listening to NPR podcasts
Unlimited scallops, Infinite choices
At the new cowboy themed buffet
beneath the fluorescent lights unlimited scallops, infinite choices
for the wild, adventurous, ravenous pioneers of today
At the new cowboy themed buffet
I sit and write this triolet
listening to the forks that wrangle shrimps and brave voices
At the new cowboy themed buffet
beneath fluorescent lights unlimited scallops, infinite choices