Food For Thought Poem by David Mitchell

'Of his diete mesurable was he,
For it was of no superfluitee,
But of greet norissyng and digestible.'
(Chaucer, Cant. T., Gen. Prol., I.435-437.)

At what I am about to write
I don't intend to start a fight;
Although the atmosphere is tense,
To me it seems like common sense.

The more you eat, the more you weigh —
He risks his life who so should say.
Or if you eat a lot, then you
Must do some exercises too.

No longer can I keep quiet
About this nonsense 'diet' —
You have a liver to detoxify you.
You all should take some care
That water, sleep, fresh air,
Do not conspire together to defy you.

(Tuesday,3rd January,2006.)

[2006: 1]