Sorry, Barbara Bush

Saltine crackers have become my worst enemy Add that to my rapidly-growing list of “do-not-eats” Along with many common foods I considered treats Salt, sugar, and fats, in general, are my archenemy. Sorry, Barbara Bush,* you did not heed good advice And lived it up with salty carbs and unsaturated fat, Because you let your doctor’s warnings fall flat In your final days, you paid the ultimate price. The symptoms are clear and very easy to discern Swollen ankles, fatigue, and difficulty breathing You suffer a general malaise which is not so pleasing Taking Lasiks intravenously is something you learn. I will miss, most of all, those tasty strips of bacon Forever forbidden along with salty potato chips No more adding salt to the food passing my lips Adding restrictions to the handfuls of meds I’m takin’. It is not so bad, after all, [I am training myself to think] Following some simple directions about what I eat I can still have vegetables and some delicious red meat It is so much better than living life right up to the brink. [*a nod to First Lady Barbara Bush, who died of Congestive Heart Failure at the ripe old age of 92!] Written June 1, 2021