the other day
my niece
being tortured by
the broccoli on her plate
asked me why broccoli
didn’t taste like ice cream
because if it did
she would eat it all
this astute child
with the inquisitive mind
even took it one step further
by saying
if all vegetables tasted like ice cream
everyone would eat a lot more
how wise of her

first, I laughed
and wholeheartedly agreed
with her observations
on broccoli
and all things green
but then I told her
life would be dreary
if everything tasted like ice cream
variety, being the spice of life
we would be bored to tears
she sighed
and reluctantly agreed
then chomped on
the lingering stalk of broccoli on her plate
imagining chunky monkey
with every last bite


it takes the wisdom of a child
to make the comments of a scholar
sometimes
because deep inside, i too think
how easy this journey would be
if everything
really did taste like ice cream
sans the calories, of course
would i be thinner?
would i be healthier?
would obesity simply disappear
if everything just tasted the same
no matter what it was?
i kind of liked that idea
and did my own dreaming
of a rocky road spinach
and what ifs and why nots

but reality set in
like the lead balloon it usually is
there are no simple answers
to the complexities
of why i overeat
and i know it wouldn’t matter
if everything tasted the same
because I probably would eat
more than everyone else anyway
and wind up
in the same rocky boat
i am today

my problem
can’t be solved
with dreaming
or imagining
things were different than they are
my problem doesn’t exist
because i simply
ate too much ice cream
every now and then
my problem
won’t disappear
no matter how many times
i wish it away

the only thing I can do
is make the changes
to my life
that change me
make the choices
to eat better
and move more
and have the strength
to work hard enough
and stick to it long enough
and aim for the day
the someday
when my problem
really is
a thing of the past

so I know
there isn’t a magic wand
or secret potion
to help me in my quest
but there is broccoli and
most things green
and even occasionally
a little ice cream
and that’s really
all I need