Vanishing Act

 

I’ve lost two more pounds I say that’s fourteen total now

the APRN stops scrolling the blood test results

how do you feel

I feel good and go on

to explain how the ridges of  my upper rib cage

reflected in a mirror

surprised me

to myself I scroll through mental images

of gaunt shipwrecked sailors

and stereotypical scarecrows

 

I’ve upped my protein intake

If you want to gain you need carbohydrates

are you telling me as a medical professional

to eat more pasta

she won’t commit to that

but I call it a win

 

that night the skeleton attempts to debate me

muscle mass versus bone and cartilage

without my framework

you would be nothing do you hear me

nothing

 

[RK, 4/19/2026]

 Whole Foods

 

quinoa, barley, amaranth, millet, and oats

as long as the pantry jars are

replenished with brown grains

full of the necessary nutrients

and essential amino acids

there is no way I could die

and leave all this food behind

 

well that’s a wish

that will probably

not come to pass

 

I’ll pack the jars into a

separate paragraph in the

final will and testament

 

would you eat them

knowing how they were incapable of

actually sustaining life?

 

[RK, 4/6/2026]