If Overeaters Anonymous were defined
in the dictionary, the picture would be of Vesta.
The first to arrive for each meeting,
we order tokens for her each year
because nobody else has abstinence
as long as hers. She’s held office
from Intergroup rep through Region
and World Service levels,
speaker at workshops and conventions
around the world, the epitome of OA.
She retired two years ago,
lost her husband and a daughter
soon after, began skipping meetings
and when we called had no time to talk.
When I saw her downtown,
she was several sizes larger
and hurried away as though she hadn’t seen me.
She’s here today, at a meeting
and took a chip we had,
one to re-establish.
