Diacetyl,

one letter off from the word die, 

also present in that 

cheap bag of popcorn, 

burning in the microwave.

Filling the halls with the stench of butter, 

and phlegm in the lungs

pull it out 

with the scooper 

they use at the movie theater

to collect popcorn. 

Kernels get lodged in the lining 

of the lungs. 

Some days when it’s hot, 

they’ll pop. 

The wall will burst,

and blood will stuff the lungs. 

Gorge your appetite for now, 

while you can still breathe, 

in between the fistfuls of popcorn 

you shovel down your esophagus.