Jennifer Goes on a Diet by Francine Witte

Again.

She tries on her closet. Nothing fits.

She throws out her clothes. She’s done this before. And twice before that.

With nothing to wear, she is glad she has no lover, no places to go.

But first, there will be one last binge.

She orders pizza, and Chinese, and cakes.

They arrive at her door like three eager lovers.

Fuck you, diet, I’m hungry. Fuck you, clothes. Fuck you boys who only like skinny.

She lines up her food. She is naked and scratchy on the couch.

This time she wants the food to enter her all at once.

She opens her mouth, tries to stuff it in. When it doesn’t fit, she spits it out. I was counting on you, she says to the food. But just like those other times, the food stays quiet.

A slight breeze tickles. She looks at her empty closet. She looks at her boy-less phone.

What else is there to try, she says out loud, as if to someone, the hole inside of her growing as she speaks.

Francine Witte is the author of four poetry chapbooks and two flash fiction chapbooks. Her full-length poetry collection, “Café Crazy,” was published by Kelsay Books. Her play, “Love is a Bad Neighborhood,” was produced in NYC this past December. She is a former English teacher. She lives in NYC.