20160211 (guardians)

Sophia

Loki

“Are you safe at home,” she asked,

And I, prototypical wiseass, replied,

“No. I’m here with you.” Undaunted

And with neither a snicker nor smirk

She calmly asked again. This time

I got it. This was a visit to a new

Physician and his assistant was simply

Following a protocol with which 

I was not familiar. It could have

Been like an earlier query, “Have 

You fallen more than twice in the

Last year?” which sounded more

Like a question one would ask a

Type II diabetic whose blood

Sugar numbers are headed 

Moonward. But it also could 

Have been a question you’d ask

An older patient possibly subject

To elder abuse. “Sorry,” I 

Answered again, “I’ve never

Been asked that before,” making

A mental note not to dress so

Shabbily next time around. “We

Ask it of everyone,” she said,

Which, considering the last

Thought gave me no great

Comfort. Is the problem that

Widespread as to be added to

Physician health history notes

Or was it because his office is

In Lakewood or “ask if the client’s

Hair is unkempt.” Now I wish

I would have thought to ask the

Doc but we had more important

Matters to cover. I had put off

This appointment fearing that 

Every step closer to treating one’s

Body as if it were falling apart

Was a step closer to the day one’s

Body actually, finally, did fall 

Apart. Sure enough the visit

Ended with another daily med

To add to my pillbox. My father

Was slow to seek help. He’d bitch

And moan for years rather than

Get help. He may have had gloomy

Intimations such visits might entail

But I think he preferred suffering

Over cure. He did not suffer in

Silence. Maybe he disliked the

Expense but he didn’t voice that

Concern so much as, “What do

They know?” He had long passed

The age of the average doctor in

Practice and regarded them all 

As “Kids, straight outta college.”

My mom let you know she was

Saving the money and hinted you

Would feel both a little richer and

Guiltier about how you got that

Way. If anyone’s going to elder

Abuse me, they’ll first have to

Deal with the dog and the cat

Who are each adept in their

Species-specific Pacific-rim

Style of defense: Sophia, the 

Art of endless kneading of my

Bicep with periodic extensions

Of her hypodermic-like claws;

Loki, the cold-nose licking of

Ears and face, which must not

Be ignored as it is precedent 

To imminent needs—his way

Of screaming, “Outside!

Outside! Have you no mercy,

Master?” Oh, ye who would

Abuse me! Think twice before

You take on either the lioness

Or the wolf!

c. J.S.Manista, 2016