Reanimated Lavender Granola Switchblade Nun rides again.

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

This We Prescribe

"The doctor will see you now," says the doctor's
very unusual
goth/steampunk receptionist.

The Weather is shown in.

The Weather has been everywhere.
Physicians of every stripe have applied their treatments.
They have postured.
They have held forth.
They have convened in spacious venues.

Nothing.

The doctor waves his stethoscope around,
out of doors,
turning in circles and sometimes wandering off into the brambles
as if he were dousing for water, or
simply off his nut.

The doctor's assistant, the same woman as before,
hands him, by turns,
beakers,
Bunsen burners,
an astrolabe,
and several odd specimens in jars.
Lids discarded,  jars turned on their sides,
these creatures bound away into the surrounding area.

"A closer look seems in order," proclaims the doctor,
and presently, he and his wife,
the same woman as before,
are airborne in the gondola of a hot air balloon.
The doctor employs a magnifying glass
and spouts his findings as she takes it all down.

The Weather blows them hither and yon.
Yes, 
"hither and yon." 
These are medical terms best not used by laymen.
"What is your diagnosis, doctor?" asks his lover,
the same woman as before.
He gives her his diagnosis and she is delighted with it.

Eventually, they descend.
The doctor is pleased with results so far.
His receptionist/
assistant/
wife/
lover
sighs and wonders, is all medical inquiry so glorious?

Meanwhile, 
The Weather continues to exhibit a variety of symptoms.
They occur, presenting at intervals, and then repeat, 
unpredictably.

As yet, no effective remedy has been developed,
but work continues,
and research is at times uncommonly enthusiastic.
______

for Kerry's Shakespeare prompt at Real Toads. I added a dash of steampunk, in Kerry's honor, too. The quote I took my title from is as follows:

"This we prescribe, though no physician;
Deep malice makes too deep incision;
Forget, forgive; conclude and be agreed;
Our doctors say this is no month to bleed."
_______ 

25 comments:

  1. Since my company moved into a new building there have been a few construction guys wandering around finishing up last minute tasks. One of them has tattoos all over his neck and hands. One day I saw him eating his lunch in the kitchen. I sat down and asked him about his tats, he asked me about my job, I asked him how he got into construction and he told me that he "couldn't cut it as a chef".

    True story.

    ReplyDelete
  2. i like 'the same woman as before' being utilized throughout. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. So humorous. I cackled happily as I read. Loved every line.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is hilarious, and actually rather profound. I don't think all medical journeys are this glorious, but it helps when you have an assistant/lover/wife/receptionist who thinks so, anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Forgot to say--I love the quote, also. That Shakespeare knew his stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Maybe I should consider being my husband's asst. if he has this much fun at work! Nah. Then I wouldn't have the time to read your fantastic poetry!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Astro . . . what?

    This just blows my mind. I could never have come up with this in a million years.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This reads rather like a dream - a very amusing one, but with all those Freudian meanings underneath. Very clever. k.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I certainly wish someone would find a fix for all this bizarre weather we've been having. Love the poem~your creativity never ceases to amaze me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Perfectly suited for the quote you picked!!! The bit about, "the same woman as before<" cracked me up, Shay!! Well played and I love your closing line!! I bet they were enthusiastic given the multi-dimensional relationship!!

    Nicely done!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Shay, you never disappoint. This is great, and the quote from Will S. is ever so true, especially "Deep malice makes too deep incision"!
    K

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well this is clearly extreme fiction. No woman could work for her husband (doing two jobs, no less) and still be his lover and call his work glorious.

    The very idea of getting a firm grip on the weather is equal parts fiction.

    I love your steampunk exploration ... how very fitting here. That photo is super hot as well.

    What if you are "the Weather," the doctors are men who have tried to wave their "stethoscopes" at you (diagnosing and offering healing), and the receptionist's intrigue is not really in his profession but rather with the Weather itself?

    "Lids discarded, jars turned on their sides,
    these creatures bound away into the surrounding area" ... What if this is also an expression of you?

    Perhaps his diagnosis is that the Weather is incurably wild and unpredictable, which is why this woman is so thrilled.

    "They occur, presenting at intervals, and then repeat,
    unpredictably." ... And what if this is the receptionist conducting her own research into the uncontrollable behavior of the Weather?

    "and research is at times uncommonly enthusiastic" ... See, I told you. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. only you could take us on such a fantastic, fantastical journey which began with Shakespeare! love, Love, LOVE this!!!

    ♥♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  14. You had me the moment the weather walked into the doctor's office: It was a "fasten your seatbelts, Kerry" moment, "you're in for another wild ride!"

    I love the earnest intensity of Herr Doktor, and his steampunk wife (etc) - their determination to analyse and diagnose the one thing beyond man's control. How very accurate a portrayal of man... which is what Shakespeare was all about.

    Loved it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. How creatively done Shay ~ I like that the patient is a Weather, totally unpredictable and still uncontrollable ~

    Enjoyed this morning read ~

    ReplyDelete
  16. Enjoyed this greatly! I'd say there is probably no cure despite analysis and attempts at diagnosis. Smiles.

    ReplyDelete
  17. 'is all medical inquiry so glorious' .. she must be a relatively new wife .. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  18. ... and THEY say climate change is a bunch of hooey! Just ask the good doctor, he knows (so does his goth wife.)

    Diagnosis: Delightful write!

    ReplyDelete
  19. You took me for a lovely trip on this one Shay. Your imagination extrapolated from the quote you took it from is makes me all the more curious as to what your eyes see, hmmm?

    Your gift is much appreciated.

    Can I ride in air balloon someday?

    ReplyDelete
  20. I agree, I love the trip and how you weathered this descent! :D
    Fun to read...love the glam and the goth!

    ReplyDelete
  21. love the "same woman as before" that runs through donning (i can only assume) her different hats (an innate skill of women, I think) - & your jibe at the unpredictability of what ails The Weather... well really, i love everything about this poem, very inventive, imaginative - you have a wonderful poetic ability

    ReplyDelete
  22. Like so many before, lots of talk about the weather but no one does anything about it. Very imaginative indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hither and yon! Such a surreal and playful scene. I was reminded of the case worker's office in Beetlejuice...the insistence that everything is "business as usual" while it clearly is not.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I guess if your perspective is cocked just so...then yes, all medical journey's could be this glorious. What a cool write, very Tim Burton.

    ReplyDelete
  25. .... the weather has no cure ;)

    ReplyDelete

Spirit, what do you wish to tell us?