Whenever I’d thank the Laundromat Guy

he’d answer in medical terms…

I’d express gratitude for his kindness

his response: “Bile pigments cause jaundice”

 

The place that he ran was a classic

booth sofas and star-shaped wall lamps

when kudos went out for creating this scene

he shot back: “Malaria hardens the spleen”

 

“Precancerous melanoma”

struck me one day as quite odd

until I remembered his sarcastic side

I’d forgotten to thank him for lending me Tide

 

Last spring he was running right towards me

hunched over and biting his lip…

I thanked him for stopping to hand me my towels

he grimaced: “…abnormally watery bowels”

 

Eggs!

A hen discards, from her feathered butt

a hard-shelled, goo-filled

two-toned chick dome

past-tense embryonic hut

 

Who thought, ‘hey neat

looks good enough to eat’

despite the fact that it might be

a chicken poop and not a treat

 

Milk!

A cow lets drip, from her multi-nippled utter

a warm off-whitish liquid

that when churned turns into butter

 

Who thought, ‘Ooo yum

just might taste like spiced rum’

ignoring that it begins at

a skin jug resting near the bum

 

We scorn, farm dogs

when they feast upon doo doo

but we may as well yell at ourselves

‘cause Eggs & Milk could be poo too