At first, it meant survival;
A way of preserving food for the worst
And during the worst.

Then it became the pop images of Andy Warhol.

But for me, it was always just
…food.

Sometimes memorably good;
Often forgettably mediocre.

I’ve eaten bowls and bowls of it:
In hospitals,
Living in a trailer,
On cold nights at home as a single dad.

I am in no way above it:
Given where I’ve come from,
It is fair to say —
I am made of it.

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Photo credit : © Niloo138 | Dreamstime.com – Canned Food Products Photo