The Morals of a Nursery Rhyme

life, what else can I say?

“Wolf, wolf” he cried

The ring of the phone brought

tears, screaming, afraid

that he might die

“my chest hurts, my arm, I’m sweating

and cold”

Over and over again

the onslaught continues

week in, week out,

month after month like blind

mice clockwork.

“Wolf, cried the little boy from the hill,

it’s really here this time”

“I can’t breathe” he wails into the receiver,

“come

help me

take care of me

me me me”

She knew the story, it was an old one. Same

old thing every month, first he got high (flying on

the white powder) and then he came down.

Begging her to come to his aid, falsely

thinking…that she didn’t know the cause

of his ‘illness’. Time and again

she ran in fear to his side, until one day,

she ran no more.

“I think it’s my heart” he bellowed through

the phone again, “I’m afraid I might

die this time”

“Wolf, wolf, wolf. For real! I mean it! I’m not

kidding this time!! Wolf…”

White sterile walls, men with white masks, white

gowns. Machines clicking and ticking, making

marks on paper for the men to read.

Blood drawn, tests done.

“It appears you may have had a heart

attack sir” said the white mask.

He cried wolf one time too many

her heart got tired

of false alarms.

Comments

Leanne -

Yes, well, a human body's only supposed to take so much -- both his and yours. I certainly hope there's no guilt attached to this.

The white in the hospital picks up the mention of white powder nicely, giving that a taste of irony. In the first stanza you have "afraid that might die" -- a typo? Should there be a "he" in there?

"Like clockwork" -- to mix nursery rhymes, what about "like blind-mice clockwork" or something? (Sorry, can't see a clock mentioned without thinking of the tail-less trio). Though to be pedantic, the boy who cried wolf is technically a fable or folk tale, not a nursery rhyme.

Perhaps I'm a sadist, but I confess I read this with a certain feeling of satisfaction.

Rene' -

Thanks Leanne and yes that was a typo in the beginning. I did use 'blind mice cloclwork' because I really like the connotation of it. Like he thought I had been blind to the problem no less! Really, it gave the poem a whole other layer that I hadn't thought of until your suggestion.

Sadist or not, I knew that it would eventually come to this. I just wonder if even that is enough to make him seek help. I promise, I feel no guilt for this. I have gone over and above all expected help for him. I have dropped everything way too many times. AND, for once in my entire 52 years of life, I have become a 'me' person. It feels good for a change too, I have never really put me first.

----- LIFE: I messed up, can I have a 'do over'?

I am orbiting, I don't know where, but I am orbiting something!

Leanne -

good for you, that's why we love you. To bits. Lots of little pocket sized bits.

Laurie -
This is a very emotional and insipiring piece Rene.

Rene' -

Thank you Laurie, you are always so sweet. I hope someone, somewhere can draw inspiration from the words I have bled onto the page. It is very, very cathartic for me...:)

----- LIFE: I messed up, can I have a 'do over'?

I am orbiting, I don't know where, but I am orbiting something!