The Taco That Ends All Discussions About Tacos

The Hippo

It was only a matter of time

Before I wrote a poem about a taco

It happened after going to Linda's on Guadalupe Street

I opened the menu and perused the taco list

The usual suspects were all there

Bean and cheese

Potato and egg

Chorizo con huevo

Papa ranchera

And so on

And so forth

Until I reached the most profound depth of the list

And there it was

There I saw it

The words glowed on the page as a choir of angels sang a perfect note

Laaaaaaaaaa

beans, 

bacon, 

country sausage, 

chorizo, 

cheese

All in one taco

This was it

This was the ultimate

This was the apex

This was el supremo taco

The taco to end all tacos

The taco to end all discussions about tacos

The taco to end any aspiration I ever had of healthy living

The Hippo

So named, in my estimation,

Because "pig" wouldn't do it justice

A larger, jollier mammal was called in 

to represent

I was compelled

I was self-dared

I was Francis McComber on safari

Facing death from his prey

Served to him by a woman 

Who thought she knew what was good for him

Like the wildlife photographer

I snapped a picture of the specimen

And posted it for the world to see

The commentary and advice poured in

"Wow"

"It looks like a heart attack waiting to happen"

"My arteries are clogging just looking at it"

But I dove in anyway

And was rewarded with a taco-rgasmic experience 

The ingredients combined in my mouth

Enriched my palette

Enlightened my taste buds

Entered my esophagus and

Reached my stomach

In a state of euphoria

"Delicious" does not do it justice

It reminded me of being the last one at the table

After a big family breakfast

Alone with the one tortilla that made it through the morning

And a morsel from each pan on the table

So I scooped the beans

And I spooned in the chorizo

I added the three bits of sausage

And grabbed the last half-strip of bacon

Then I went to the fridge and found the shredded cheese

Before putting it in the microwave for thirty seconds

Soft tortilla

Smooth texture with hints of crunch

Cheese-chorizo-bacon grease

The effects on my health were but a small price to pay

For these mouthfuls

Of bliss