twenty seven years —
my daily disorder
my favorite disease
no cure; just endure.

i’d be the one getting bloated off one beer
blaming the carbonation while
foaming at the mouth.
take my addiction daily
at every meal;
take my misguided medication orally
swallow & let it destroy me
from the inside
passive suicide.

i’m unable
to understand how something so highly recommended
can be so dangerous —
as it smiles at me from across every counter
hidden within
every wrapper
comes prepackaged with lies & paper promises:
6-8 servings a day are strongly suggested
they say
take two of these with every meal
and don’t call me at all.

quitting cold turkey sandwiches nearly felt worse than quitting effexor in two weeks;
infecting my head with thoughts of pastries & things i haven’t had in years are suddenly everywhere —
spend till 3am shaking salivating staring at pictures of pancakes & crepes & croissants & muffins…..
writing a hundred gluten-free recipes until my hands cramp & my fingers turn blue
from ink & disappointment;
avoiding bakery aisles to stave off saline eyes
because the smell of bread
nearly sent me into DT’s.

sadly for me there was no self-help group for gluten addiction; there’s an overeaters-anonymous but no overwheaters support to coax me to drop the needle filled with macaroni & cheese.

i did it all my own, stubbornness beside me
seventy two hours & the worst was over.

now the diagnosis: celiac — the word sounds to me more like a car than the life-sentence
that drove me to the edge of insanity & back but
another medical excuse for mood swings & tiredness is
greatly appreciated; & after all i’ve already cleared for it
a spot in my garage.

despite my mistrust for doctors i must say: there’s
nothing like an incurable disease
to cure me.