action

trE

scheduled appointment with
the gastroenterologist
for unresolved digestive
issues…
this morning–while the air
prickles the skin.

I fast.
just in case.

a $50 copay was a near deterrent.
a costly handing over of coins
to be sure nothing is
there that shouldn’t be.

a choice that could break
most during this season.

isn’t it odd?
the lengths we’ll go to
find out why our bodies
decide what will continually
hurt us without our consent?

to seek answers when our
questions do nothing but
hover over us and cause
added grief…

I wonder what my late cousin,
Chrissy, would say about
my aging days…

I miss her advice–her steadying
hand and calm heart.

she’d probably be happy I’m
taking action and not
ignoring an obvious problem.

I’m known to be a runner
in my past life,
yet I’ve grown tired of
being in a hurry to get
nowhere.

gallbladder?

trE

the women without gallbladders
tell me it’s my gallbladder
causing ruckus in my body

forever full but hungry
acid reflux but belching
bloating without benefits

someone else says, “gluten allergy?”
I loathe trips to the doctor
I read material that
instructs the body on
which foods are safe and
which foods are not

I watch snippets and shorts
about healthier choices and
how to reverse damage or
prevent stones
and I become anxious
about the terror within me

don’t we have enough to
worry about?

I crawl back into bed
pull the covers over my
head, and the Winnie the Pooh
theme song comforts me
as I drift to sleep