30 August 2013

If Only I Weren't So Lame

I could be handy —
dispose of the hot tub,
dismantle the carport,
assemble the shed
instead of asking Mike
who’d rather play bridge,
sit in his chair
as I sit in my chair
because my body
is weak & broken down 
& aches. All I do
is chop out more ivy —
by evening a rash,
by morning it’s
down my right leg,
also the other.
Why don't I wear
long pants?
Because it's common
ivy. My wrists
& my hips ache,
my legs itch a little,
my back itches
from earlier hives.
Now my son tells me
he was excused
as a child 
because ivy chopping
gave him a rash.
Why don’t I remember?
But don't forget —
I do a drop-dead
dive-tuck-roll dismount
before my bicycle
crashes, plus this —
the kitten has mostly
stopped biting my arms —
wailing like Ophelia
works its charms.