New Year's Shopping On An Island Poem by Herbert Nehrlich

The local market, New Year's Eve
employees' eyes on early leave,
a customer with Trojan smile
stood in the corner for a while.
At last he said 'you buy white bread
soon in the New Year you'll be dead.'

He had a point, of course, at that
white bread will make your liver fat
and is devoid of real food
what man does need is rather crude,
and unrefined and without tamper.

I like the great Australian Damper.
I told him, as I turned to go
'I am aware and really know,
but mother said to bring home bread
it's all, they had, and looks quite dead.'