Easement

They tore down the McDonald's
to make an easement. Carted away
the yellow plastic rainbows and their promise of
yellow-jacketed leprechauns guarding pots
of golden grease.

Fat deposits can clog your arteries,
wrap around and constrict your spleen-- which, some folk believe
is the seat of emotion. Not the heart, the spleen.
And if emotion, then also surcease from emotion:
easement, unconstriction,
a widening of the road. Country two-laner grown to an autobahn
at the expense of one fast-food joint
layered with lard.

Still I miss the arches and the yellow, spotted cats
I once saw lurking in the plastic jungle
that masqueraded as a play-set.
I know it's better for my spleen.
I'm just not sure about my heart.

--word salad

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