The Bakery

trays of elephant ears, berry muffins,

fruit filled hamantaschen, walnut

brownies, peanut butter cookies,

and powdered blueberry scones

waited on the top shelf 

my vow to turn away from extra

sugar underwent testing

i envisioned ballooning up, tottering

beneath a calorie laden cloud, my 

pants tearing apart at the seams,

my arms and legs swelling into

watermelon appendages, a moon-face

with swollen cheeks and a slash 

for a mouth, eyes hidden beneath

swelling flesh, a scale that crumbled

beneath my girth, pants sewn out of

burlap bags, and i watched myself 

wobble and waddle down a street—

i fiddled with money in my wallet,

imagined a plate filled with items

from the top shelf, honed down my 

plate and visualized biting into one

sugar filled delicacy—letting 

sweetness explode in my open mouth,

linger on my tongue—

with the last ounce of control i 

turned away from paradise 

and ordered a large decaf assam tea

—no sugar and no room for milk

April Poem a Day

Prompt: Temptation Poem