Sally Eslinger Poet Prose Poetry

A Life Hit

A Life Hit

ThIt was a life hit,
A one after the other:
For first, there was the coma,
And just the idea of it
To struggle with, but then,
Afterwards my eyesight smudged
Spaces, altered them, imposed
Textures, shapes and colors.
This was diagnosed
(A complication from my coma)
As Charles Bonnet syndrome.
Hmmm...
Tough call for an artist —
Already dealing with proliferative
  retinopathy, and its dozen laser
  eye treatments nearly destroying
  all peripheral vision —
Poor fellow, Charles,
Having such a legacy, a hard hit;
It challenged me to need
To learn to draw all over again,
Like a child turning the pages
Of instruction books.
When
I drew portraits, I’d put in three
Eyes and not see it until told.
Actually
There came quite much laughing
At the perceptions from the hit,
Which involve voids in vision —
Something the brain will not 
Accept and so it fills in, often
Humorously (I’d say) —
Hmmm...
Funny brain.  I’ll never forget
One day, re-learning to draw dogs
And after staring at photos
Of pups for more than an hour, 
How I looked up from my sketches
To watch the news, 
Only to see every newscaster
And interviewed expert now
Had a long, hairy muzzle
And floppy ears.
Hmmm...
Finally a life hit
That could go with a bucket of 
  buttered popcorn.

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(c) sally young Eslinger 5/2021
Thanks be to God

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Connie Marcum Wong May 23, 2021 at 2:22 PM This poem is so fantastic! I love the humor you instilled about a serious circumstance that one would have to sadly learn to navigate. Beautiful Sally! I can relate somewhat. I get an eyeshot every five weeks to keep from losing my sight. Blessings xxoo Sally Eslinger May 23, 2021 at 7:50 PM Wow, Connie, dear sister poet! In 1981,I’ll never forget, after diabetes shots for 23 yrs, since age 8, after they told me laser’d require a shot in the eye,I went to the car & went hysterical @thought of it. U have my hugs dear one. Gotta laugh when we can...