collapsorative effort

mouth gapes wide for one more taste
and lungs drink in a gulp of air
simply swallow all there is
and holler for another round

"we're starving here!" bark lungs to mouth
their bellies sinking in themselves
collapsing from the inside out
all aching in their emptiness

and mouth says, "please, if you'll just wait
one moment, my friends, maybe two,
i'm doing everything i can,
you know i am - you know i am."

but throat is sore and cannot get
mouth's message down to greedy lungs
who grow more restless all the while
and lay the blame on poor old heart

dear heart cannot defend itself
and starts to panic, as it should
it tugs on nerves who scream aloud
in hopes of waking brain to help

but nerves have frightened sleeping brain
who freezes up just like old heart
and forces lungs to stop but not
to get back to their only job

so lungs collapse and heart is dying
nerves are sobbing, throat is sore
brain has fallen back to sleeping
and with it all hope of repair

mouth says, "guys, i think i've got it,"
as it breathes a deep, deep breath
the taste of which it fails to relish;
it chokes and gasps and dies alone.