Last ditch date when the Zyrtec won’t work.
00:06
Needlepoint system punch,
00:08
chemical glow up, whack-a-moleing symptoms into sawdust.
00:12
Kool-aid Man-ing into the room when blood is turned up too high.
00:15
No rush, though.
00:16
Just the synapse skitter.
00:17
The tendons all scratched up and skip and too much muscle work.
00:21
Your try-hard heart back to oversharing.
00:25
Meanwhile, throat’s still closing into a pin,
00:28
itching to deliver the titular, “That’s all, folks.”
00:31
Meanwhile, everyone’s speaking soft to smooth your frog-leg sprint,
00:36
trackless, light years on loop.
00:38
Nurse holds your hand,
00:39
says, “This medicine will make your heart go fast.
00:42
It might make you feel anxious.”
00:44
And you laugh into the oxygen mask, like worry’s an old friend.
00:50
Like nervous, jitter talk is your default,
00:52
and maybe it is too many jokes
00:55
when the doctor looks at you like a mistake,
00:57
when the nurse brings a sad banana,
01:00
(audience laughter)
01:02
when your heart rate still won’t slow,
01:06
when you tell her you still feel lightheaded,
01:09
both floating and drummed upon,
01:11
buckshot thyroid upon and so she asks if you know where you are
01:16
and what day of the week it is
01:17
and who is the president of the United States?
01:21
And then you have to say it, his name, to prove that everything’s normal.
01:28
(audience laughing)
01:30
(applause)
01:35
And you laugh as the medicine works.
01:39
And still your body tries to run itself into the linoleum.
01:43
It works except your skin stays red, rising, spooked.
01:49
Except you go home, count your pulse on the hour,
01:52
and all night something won’t stop knocking from the inside at your ears.
02:00
(cheers and applause)
—
What’s your take? Comment below or write a response and submit to us your own point of view or reaction here at the red box, below, which links to our submissions portal.
◊♦◊
Sign up for our Writing Prompts email to receive writing inspiration in your inbox twice per week.
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all-access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class, and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group, and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
◊♦◊
Get the best stories from The Good Men Project delivered straight to your inbox, here.