At lunchtime the gym is devoid
of people empty like my stomach
bouncing a hallow tennis ball
against other organs tissues perhaps bone
Dana and I pedal the elliptical machine
discuss how gross it is that most beer brands
filter their hops through cow bones Nardella
told us that yesterday at lunch at Maxwell’s
on High Street I forgot what Rolling Rock
uses but it’s not bones Normally
I drink Miller Lite or LaBatt
but I’m going to switch I tell Dana
and she agrees When the hum of the machines
replace our voices I obsess my lunch options
Fast food: Arby’s potato cakes
Hardee’s six buck burger for $3.99
or Rich food: Filet Mignon in some French wine
sauce I can’t pronounce from Madeline’s on Spruce
or Mexican food: bean burritos rice guac chips salsa
from Rio Grande in Sabraton
Dana and I switch to the treadmill
Still there are no other workout comrades
to gawk at or distract my hunger pains
I decide I will eat at home
a salad of lettuce carrots tomatoes
no cheese no dressing
that way I stand a better chance of being skin and
bones
I drink from Dana’s Nalgene pretend it’s food
On the way out of the Rec center Dana and I
agree lunchtime is a safe time to swim
in the pool surrounded by windows
No one is there to see
us in our bathing suits