Thursday, February 10, 2022

Lived Ink

My physiotherapist is spending time with COVID. His replacement tries, but fails and fails to make sense of the chaos (illness and injury and time) carves in my flesh and bone.

My jaw is howling. The throb turns thought to storm, leaves me stumbling for rhyme or reason or relief in a winter forest that knows no respite or spring or poetry.

My chronic illness monster’s demanding another tooth.  

But…

my new OCD therapist has superpowers: she knows how to cackle, understands why the sight of rust leaves my body and mind quaking but playing with dirt soothes my soul.

My Piano Man says he has 13, 31, or 39 kisses for me.

And I cackle.

when the world is dark,
I taste full moon memories—
lived ink on my tongue

- for Poets and Storytellers United--Friday Writings #13: Words on the 13th (where a rather attractive, intelligent, and extremely modest woman invites all participants to share poetry or prose which includes at least 3 of the following 13 words: bone, night, chaos, moon, forest, rhyme, tongue, storm, tell-tale, howl, winter, echo, dirt).

39 comments:

  1. It's so good to find a therapist who truly gets you – as well as being efficient in their particular skill. I ignore chiropractors closer to home, to travel to another town for adjustments which make a huge difference to my life and comfort, by a delightful, caring and highly-trained young mother. No-one else has quite the knack. And I have my favourite physiotherapist at the hospital, a woman who has worked there as long as I've lived in this town (20+ years) and has helped me survive various injuries and ailments over the years. (They don't cackle, though; that would be a luxury!)

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    1. At the moment, I'm super pleased with most of my doctors--except my dental surgeon, I'm not so sure about him...

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    2. I hope your physiotherapist cackles one of these days. 😁

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  2. Your Piano Man hits all the right notes! (I'll show myself out now)

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  3. Full moon memories... are my lifeboats in every deluge!

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  4. How many kisses will he choose? I love lived ink on tongue but feel the howl and throb sadly and know it to some degree.

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    1. He went for 13 x 3. There was a lot of giggling involved.

      Here is to less howling and throbbing!

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  5. Painting and poetry = for soothing minds and calming bodies. Hoping your physiotherapist is on the way to beating Covid .. take good care (sending squeezes to you and your P.M!

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    1. She is back now, thank goodness!

      Thank you for the squeezes. I shall pass them forward.

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  6. I love the wild feel of this poem, the way it's written it echoes the words that you've chosen. Beautiful job!

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  7. Magaly, I've been saving up for you. First, thank you for the nice prompt wordlist. Next, for your "taste full moon memories" I have two classes, Romantic and also of biting women's necks with my fangs at full moons.
    Keep your own homegrown teeth as long as you can. My upper full appliance, I am allergic to the term, "false teeth, is the pits. I still have nine lowers, all but one are on the left side. I have a lower appliance but it hurts my gum of the right side tooth where it is anchored.
    Nuff, again I love reading your diary entries, this could be another.
    ..

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    1. We've been working on saving the tooth. I have another appointment in 2 weeks, to see if things are taking. Keep your fingers crossed!

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  8. Not everyone does bath bombs for self care. OK, I do, but I also get how getting dirty would be remarkably soothing. The bath bomb comes after. :D

    I'm glad you have medical professionals to work with that get you. And I wish the physiotherapist a speedy and full recovery.

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    1. I've always loved the phrase "bath bomb". In my head, it looks like a glorious explosion of bubbles.

      She is back!

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  9. Wow, very deep and powerfully painful words felt here

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  10. I agree this is such a powerful piece. Sending healing enrgy always.

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  11. Hang in there with that new physio - your regular fella will be back soon.

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    1. She's back! And I'm so happy for it. My shoulder too.

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  12. I read your thoughts, and I wait for that...you know...that unseen fang that lives inside you, waiting, waiting for it's chance to strike. I cant wait until it shows itself again. (giggle) I must be evil. But I wish you flowers and sunshine and soft warm hugs, and please Mr. Piano Man, change that 39 to 93. xo

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    1. Fangs are such fun. Not evil at all.

      I told my Piano Man about changing 39 to 93, and he said. "All right! Where's my chap-stick? 😁

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  13. I would go for the 39 kisses but not all at once! :

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    1. You are the winner! There were 39 kisses. With breaks, I needed to breathe.

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  14. Feasting on your poetry and raw thoughts always shifts me within and the energy you weave in all you create makes me shimmer. Such beautiful art and your words..powerful and soulful. shining lots of love and healing to you always.

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    1. And learning what my words do for you always makes my day. Thank you so much for the love and healing, my sweet Victoria. Sending you moonlit hugs!

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  15. Raw and honest thoughts.
    Hang in there till your regular physio comes back.

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    1. She's back! So I don't have to hang anymore. 😁

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  16. Wow!
    Sending healing wishes to you.

    All the best Jan

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  17. "Ink on the tongue" is something!
    Can feel the pain. Well expressed.

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  18. With your cackling as background music, I read the haiku...and I say to myself, "As long as there are memories, all will be well." Superb writing. Thank you, Magaly.

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  19. Always good to know how to cackle!

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