Writing Exercise #1

inspired by Kevin Young's "Negative"

Wake to find everything fat
what was slim, all the vice
versa - slim anorexic models, fat.

GAP commercials starring a fat actress
dancing in fat fit jeans. Slim wallets,
fat donations. Well-fed

Africa children. All celebrities
wear tiny shades. Drive small
fuel-efficient cars, small portions

on menus eaten by healthy children
who order a quarter-pound of fruit.
Campbell's Skinny Soup and
Fat Pockets.

Young females admiring obese
women, laughing at skinny jokes.
Friends get together to chew
the lean. It's not over

till the gaunt lady sings.
Here's the skinny or maybe
the fat. There is a distinction
and we're all obsessed
with that.