Poem by Raquel

Title: Untitled
Date(s) of creation: October, 1994
Creator / author / publisher: Raquel, FaT GiRL
Physical description: Zine page
Reference #: FG1-043-Poem
Links: [ PDF ]

by Raquel

From FaT GiRL #1, October, 1994

Image description

A background of gray images of stylized plates of food from the 1960’s or 1970’s falling diagonally down the page, as a driving rain, abundant with jello molds and custard pies.

Overlaid text reads:

As I got older
I was encouraged less and less
to eat
luscious breakfasts were served
to my young brothers
waffles with syrup sent from my grandfather in New Hampshire
one jug lasted through my teenage years
I hated breakfast food
except bacon
Sausage
crispy fried hashbrowns:
piled gray potatoes in a crusty cast iron skillet
left splattering
until they could be turned
as one solid cake
brown and greasy

She looked at me
at my stomach
and mouth
disgusted 

Once a week
we went to King’s Table
All You Can Eat
it was a joke on me
because my mother watched my plate
tsked her tongue
shook her head
and offered me diet mints
to offset the soft ice-cream sundaes
eaten by my brothers 

my hunger for her 
replaced by disapproval 
of my gaping mouth 
chomping teeth 
gnashing appetite 

Now when I see her 
I am very careful to always leave
some food on the plate 

Raquel