Monday, May 15, 2017

The Dream

Remember when you chewed the rabbi's shoes?
Did you believe they'd be a lovely treat,
Or did you only think the rabbi's feet
Were too nice to be smelly? Were the clues
You raved about the clear result of booze,
As they appeared to be, or was the street
As badly paved as that? Were you discreet,
Or did you come with highway-paving crews?

Or were you merely thinking, "I'm a dog!
So what if my food choices are extreme,
Where everything is food, not just ice cream
And beef scraps, bits of Allegheny hog
And chicken hearts? I'm living in a fog;
I'll do what beagles do, I'll live the dream!"

Friday, May 05, 2017

CT Kidney Scan

They take the metal from you, pants and clips,
And anything they think might interfere,
Then water — drink a litre, free and clear —
While IV needles threaten; come to grips
With the indignities, the bandage strips
Across the failed attempts, the gown, the gear,
The forced jokes and the overdone sad cheer,
The hour spent in the corridor. Time slips.

You're laid down on a table, hard and cold,
Now on your stomach, and now on your butt,
A pre-recorded voice (the doors are shut,
You are alone) commands. Do as you're told:
Turn over, roll back. (Never become old.)
Wait through this, and soon they'll inform you — what?