Through and through my mother is anorexic You would be too if your environment was toxic I can’t help but be sad when I come home late at night And she’s asleep on the couch with tear stains from a fight I bring back food from the restaurant I work at She says she can’t have it because she’s too fat Eventually she caves and I get her to eat Fish, broccoli, fries, and red meat She tells me it’s too late at night to eat snacks Although she’s a normal weight her bones still sound like they crack It’s now 1 am and I go to turn off the tv She quickly wakes up and stairs blankly right at me “Leave it. And turn the heat on” She says to me, fighting a yawn Before I leave I notice the wrappers A caloric binge had clearly trapped her And tomorrow I’m sure the cycle will repeat As the image of my mother withers and retreats