It was presumed everything would end with a bang, go out in a flash

Just like, earlier, it was presumed nothing would ever end

Only grow

Not change, just grow

Improve

More of the same

In a good way

Like the ten courses eaten by unsinkable ship passengers four and a half hours before…

You know

If I had hors d'oeuvres, followed by oysters and consommé olga

Then cream of barley, poached salmon with mousseline sauce and some cucumbers

And they brought after that filet mignons lili and sauté of chicken and lyonnaise

Then I loosened my belt when I saw the vegetable marrow farci on its way

Excused myself to the restroom and came back as lamb, steaming, was being delivered

Mint sauce for the lamb, then roast duckling if I was especially peckish

Apple sauce even, then sirloin of beef to really kick things off

Roughly three hours to go, before…

You know

And still the world is kind to me

Because what horrors can come in the same evening as chateau potatoes?

Not to mention green peas, creamed carrots, boiled rice, parmentier and boiled potatoes?

They were not doomed because of the punch romaine and roast squab and cress

Because the rest went too

If I had cold asparagus vinaigrette followed by pate de foie gras

Some celery

I think I’d still manage to leave room for waldorf pudding

And peaches in chartreuse jelly

And chocolate and vanilla eclairs

And french ice cream to boot

Because why not?

If I had all that, I wouldn’t wonder what’s for breakfast

But no matter the courses

One meal must be the last

We pictured a bang, flash, wind whipping through your hair in an instant and you’re out

What mercy that would be

How peaceful, for the impact to be the end

And not the frigid depths yearning, indifferent

A flame shrinking to an ember, then smoke

A meal, a day, a life must end

A civilization falls with none to stand over it

A race ends

The last human just ate his last meal

I have never caught the wisping fragrance of vegetable marrow farci

Couldn’t even tell you what it is

And yet

As the icy waters swell

As the ember darkens

I could eat