All for a measly pound.

Melissa Elder
1 min readDec 15, 2022

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I’ll weigh myself.
I’ll skip breakfast.
I’ll clean harder.
I’ll avoid lunches with friends.
I’ll avoid holidays.
I’ll run until it hurts.
I’ll sweat until I’m soaked.
I’ll drink myself drown.
I’ll weigh myself.

I’ll suck in my stomach.
I’ll carry all the groceries at once.
I’ll flex my butt while driving.
I’ll park farther away.
I’ll eat as slow as I can.
I’ll lose sleep.
I’ll compare every limb.
I’ll weigh myself.

I’ll make a salad.
I’ll order another salad.
I’ll eat salad after salad after salad.
I’ll avoid the mirror.
I’ll berate myself in guilt.
I’ll exercise while sick.
I’ll wake up too early.
I’ll covet other bodies.
I’ll weigh myself.

I’ll think back to what I ate.
I’ll think about what I’m going to eat.
I’ll take the stairs.
I’ll stare at the dessert.
I’ll smell the butter and sugar.
I’ll pray for restraint.
I’ll reset rules.
I’ll weigh my food.
I’ll weigh myself.

I’ll read about tips.
I’ll avoid happiness.
I’ll write down each bite.
I’ll avoid contentment.
I’ll set the goals.
I’ll avoid satisfaction.
I’ll set my alarm.
I’ll weigh myself.

I’ll do whatever it takes.

To lose that pound.

Sketch by Maria Hackett

https://www.melissaelderbooks.com

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Melissa Elder

Poet. East Coast dweller. Author of the books The Mundane and Nostalgia. www.melissaelderwrites.com @meliss.elder.writes