Scientists, I hear ya –
All those warnings ‘bout bacteria
Bringing microbes by the score
To food fallen on the floor.

Yes, I see that you have tested
How fast grub will get infested,
Dropping tidbits on the tile
to examine in a while.

It appears that your inspection
Has determined that collection
Of those spreaders of infection
Happens soon after connection.

Things like nasty salmonella
That could hurt a healthy fella,
And e. coli that’s just waiting
To begin contaminating.

So you say we shouldn’t risk it
For a brownie or a biscuit
(even if it’s really yummy)
That has landed somewhere scummy.

And your warnings are quite dire
Should one drop a pacifier
And then pop it in one’s mouth
To remove the spores that sprout.

But I thought that you should know
That – as far as kitchens go –
When it comes to floor hygiene,
Mine is relatively clean.

So I’ve cooked up a solution
For reducing the confusion,
A new policy that’s firm
For insuring us ‘gainst germs.

It’s as simple as can be–
No more five seconds, nor three.
And my new food safety tool?
I call it The Two-Second Rule.

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©2012 Carlotta Eike Stankiewicz