Preventative Measures

i could never eat as fast as my food could rot

milk goes sour

mold blooms on bread

even the oreos go stale

i stand each week at the counter

separating the good from the bad

the salvageable from the unsalvageable

using my knife to cut around and through

i wonder what would happen if

i carved away the damaged parts from myself

a slice off the top here

halved there

skinned

chopped

piece by piece

i could dispose of the bad bits

cut away the disease before it has a chance to spread

i stand at the counter 

the knife in my hand debating

how much would be left

how much could i get away with

maybe this could be considered

preventative measures

i put the knife down