a poem for cheryl mckay

i'm drinking diet coke from a styrofoam cup.
aspartame. mmm.
i stick my tongue in the toxic syrup until it burns.
i imagine the erosion taking place inside my face.
i imagine myself with half a tongue.
yeck.
but i do it again. until i can't stand it.
my tonuge is fizzing and shriveling.
it crawls out of my mouth and drops onto the keyboard.
that's gross - keyboards are so germy.
ah, my tongue.
burning away like it has a fire beneath it.
why doesn't my stomache burn that way?
it has a whole styrofoam cup of diet coke just sitting in it.
it's a miracle, i guess.