20160518 (vengeance)

Not really my kind of God. But you gotta admit when it comes to symbols the ancients had a flair for that stuff.

When I retired (that is gave up

All forms of working for income)

It wasn’t my plan to become

Elderly—aching, weakening,

Consumed with thoughts of 

Imminent organ failure. Nor

Was I at all ready for the 

Accoutrements of aging: the

Two-tier plastic daily pill

Dispensers, a stash of needles

For a blood sugar meter, the

Meter, the test strips, and as

Of yesterday the magic pens

For injections. As they say in

Mr. Keillor’s Minnesota, “Things

Could be worse.” Indeed they 

Could. I have a vivid enough

Imagination to fill in the blanks

And though I would readily fly

From the ills I have I’m not 

Eager to land in an airport of

Even worse condition. Does 

That mean I’m resigned to my

Fate? Not if I can negotiate 

Another. Where is Faust’s buddy

When you need him? Golly gee

Whiz bang, Mr. Science, it’d

Be great to stay positive through

These trials (hell, it would be

Great to stay awake through

These trials), but I find a certain

Amount of bitching comes with

The territory. My inner angel

Urges me to stop whining, stop

Thinking you’re the only one

This happens to, tough up, and

Get on with the tasks at hand. 

Easy for my inner angel—he’s

A much nicer guy and I don’t 

Think his wings get the slightest

Bit arthritic or he’d be harping

A whole ‘nother tune. Besides

Who knows that it’s not my

Calling? Some are good at this

Some at that. Could be complaint

Is mine. The Lord said vengeance

Is His. Except for a dabble in

Occasional sarcastic comment

Every now and then (which, by 

The way never comes to me on

An as-needed basis—always a 

Day or two later, when I realize

I could have replied, “So’s your

Old man,” or something equally

Effective) I leave the physical

Responses to the Bolter of 

Lightning. So, if you’ve caught

My drift in this scant rant, for 

The next few days at least, don’t

Ask me how I’m doing. If you do

I might enjoy telling, but you

Will not enjoy hearing.

c. J.S.Manista, 2016