April 3, 2011You Can’t Know Because You Haven’t Been Sick
how the pain becomes your steady
and people lose patience with you
for not getting the surgery
they would choose in your place
in place of your alternative remedies
they belittle with glazed eyes
and tight mouths saying how ridiculous
you are and your dizziness they say
you know that can be cured too
because I know a doctor a real doctor
who’s helped my aunt who had
just exactly what you have
and she always used to say the world
is unsteady you know and no one knows
how it is until they’ve lived it
until the steady pain moves in
and uses up all the spare rooms
and pays its rent in little jabs
never missing an installment
never late never easy never gone
from #17 - Summer 2002