Men, calories and the IRS -
three blisters to me.
Single, 40ish, female
living in the city,
having to carry my own grocery bags,
no one to share chores with
or to tell the small daily events,
no one to give me a shove
when I'm lazy.

Calories sneak in like the fog,
men - a parade of weird dogs,
and the IRS nipping at my heels.
Was my grandmother luckier
with her husband, lace and
hair in a bun?
She didn't worry about
her target pulse rate.
Just being proper
was all she had to do
to be successful.
Striving for independence
was a yoke
she didn't have to wear.