I am a temperate woman.
I cool my coffee with an ice cube,
take my water plain,
my steak medium rare,
set the thermostat at seventy.
I live in a temperate zone,
wear size average clothes,
let my ice cream melt a bit.
I go easy on the jalapeno,
hate shouting matches,
also dislike silence
with the cold shoulder.
Watch the speed limit,
use thrift sale finds,
drive a pre-owned Chevy.
Moderation is my motto
with one exception.

Don't show me tepid love.
I'll take that deluxe,
supersized, outrageous,
spicy, with a lifetime guarantee.


From All That Matters: Collected Poems 2010-2018 (2018).
Used here with permission.