poem

 NecktieI stopped wearing necktiesTo the hospital for roundsNo more Windsor knotsFor me, too much work Too much like a nooseHanging from my gallows Paisley power blue tipsWhisking across seeping wounds Spreading germs and disease I won ’t contributeAnymore to my own deathIt ’s enough just being aliveIt ’s why I don ' t smoke or skydive Or swallow swords or play with fireWhy hasten the end?I should have joined the circus —The world ' s smallest manWatch him twist himself intoA tiny bug-sized bow tie,The gift shop with rowsOf miniature reproductions Of my pretzled contortions Made from strands of woolDyed the color of human flesh.You have to squint to appreciateThe pointless artistry.My body is a perfect ligatureKnotted so tightThe skin is starting to blue.  9/14/22

Source: Buckeye Surgeon - September 14, 2022 Category: Surgery Authors: Jeffrey Parks MD FACS Source Type: blogs