TOM ERDMANN, JR.

HOW TO EAT GRAPE NUTS

Think of them as the enemy.
Believe you will spit them out
after you chew them up.
Chew violently!
Ignore the ones that stick
in every crevice of your teeth.
If you can't ignore them, know
that they are suffering too.

Get on with it. Chew like Hell,
knowing that you are superior
to people who order extra butter
and wallow in hot fudge
Remember that your tenacity
will be rewarded
with firm movements.

Appreciate the new tightness
of your jaw. Stop chewing.
Now, finally, you may swallow.
Rest your face while you rejoice
at your fat-free capillaries.

Always thank the cook
who bought that HUGE box at Costco
in the bland faith
that your children's taste
had matured from Cocoa Puffies.
Try not to kill her.

Tom is a Seattle poet recently transplanted into Prescott, Arizona. He has taught in Seattle for 32 years. I am most proud that my students won over 300 local, state and national awards. His work has recently appeared in Seattle Review and Bellingham Review, and many others journals.

Tom has experienced great, if reluctant, success with his recent regimen of Grape Nuts!
He welcomes your comments.