Judge

“There is no diet to reduce
the weight of judgment,”
said the very wise, very glib,
very fat man.  

He folded into his girth,
enrobed and swollen,
took up an entire bench,
nodded at the condemned
who shrank down,
tried to look as small
as they felt.

As he handed down sentences
he thought of porkchops, potatoes,
port, anything at all he could consume
once he got out of here.  What happened
to the small ones he crushed here
was unimportant.  What was important

was how full he wanted to feel
as soon as possible
upon completion
of his duties.