Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

In The Hospital Cafeteria, All Unbidden

In the hospital cafeteria, all unbidden,

Miss Aqua Net Extra Hold at the next table tells me,



"You're using way too much salt."



I turn to a pillar, shaker in hand.



I smile.

"Why, thank you Pinocchio."

A practiced flourish of the wrist brings a white rain.

I look back.



She has gone back to attacking her salad.



Longevity runs in my family, but,

I would rather go down,

Back into the earth;

Give me all the seasons now,

Cos, dearie, for what it's worth--

I have no wish to linger on,

To go quietly,

To fail slowly,

To grow old.

___________

for One Shoot Sunday

21 comments:

  1. ..as long as she's only attacking her salad..smiles
    i love the ending shay and the give me all the seasons now..the longing for life in the face of having to let go soon..

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  2. Amen! Visits to my parents, and seeing how the rest of the family suffers when someone has Alzheimer's...I've told my family that if I get that diagnosis, I hope I have the strength and the stockpile of pills necessary.

    Rage! Rage at the dying of the light...And pass the salt and the butter over here.

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  3. Playing the Pinocchio card... oh no she didn't! Your final four lines are emotional through their stark frankness.

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  4. what's the use of a long life lived with no enjoyment?

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  5. I completely agree with Ellen. Use all the salt you want. ;)

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  6. The spirit reigns when the flesh retires! Hail! Hail! Loved it.
    Gay

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  7. I used to feel exactly that way. Now that I AM old, my perspective has changed a bit. But your lines are spot on when it comes to the hypocrisy surrounding judgmental strangers, and that desire not to lose one's self to a slow decay.

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  8. I love the comment "the spirit reigns when the flesh retires". Having one usable leg at the moment, I have to agree. I still want to be here:) Beautiful writing, Shay. Poignant. Love the flourished salt shaker and rain of salt.

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  9. i neither, i will go boldly, kicking and screaming the whole way enjoying the full flavors...nice shay

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  10. Why Thank You Pinocchio-- fabulous-- the whole thing. Thanks for stopping by-- I bore down in spontaneous labor and wrote something for the prompt. xxxxj

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  11. Indeed, who wants to live forever.

    That's why I smoke, drink tons of MtDew, and generally let myself go. Heck, I never really planned to live as long as I have anyway.

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  12. I am new to your group. I wondered how you might respond to the image after the comments seemed all over the map on aging and cliches. I have not read all the responses in poetry or prose, yet, but will.
    "PLEASE PASS THE SALT!"
    Bravo!

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  13. Love your skills as a poet!

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  14. wonderfully penned... to give up so much, so live beyond the boundaries of our soul's enjoyment... yet a boring tedious life.

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  15. give me all the seasons....yes, enough is enough...i say go for it...bkm

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  16. I enjoy a heavy dose of salt and butter with every meal, and I get a ration for it daily from my daughter, but I will not go quietly into this good life.

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Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?