Heal Thyself O Patient - I
Two scores and more years back, as I recall,
I find my left elbow pounding with pain
Mere bending it when turned a task no small,
And left me clueless for the cause for strain.
As unknown to us seasons oft set in
Early or late till one day forced are we
To tune unto change unwilling or keen,
But more than pain, impending plight peeved me.
The medic I met, cooler than what came
And surer more, called it tennis elbow,
To my protest, not having played the game,
He shrugged and left to leave me watch him go,
But turned: beware fame just follows my name,
Call it by any name, it’d pain the same.
If pain it’d all the same, I better plug
In, listen to him, alleviate my pain
And leave his door like unseasonal rain,
Took his drug list as if were a bad bug.
Pain persisting, gaining intensity,
The devil in doc felt vindicated,
Looking kind, stern-eyed still, nodded at me,
Happy to see his patient defeated.
Over-ruled, rebel on knees, out elbowed,
Bowed to submission, folding my sleeve
I submit, wait for explanation owed,
He looks up a grievous verdict to give:
There’s no escape if seed is duly sowed,
Yield to what pain proffers, plead no reprieve.
_______________________________________
Crown of sonnets | 03.11.2012, revised July 2023|
Poet’s note: Here are sonnets I and II of a sequel of ten sonnets constituting one single poem called a crown of sonnets. The last line of the preceding sonnet is repeated as the first line of the next sonnet, but not verbatim; nor is the first line of the first sonnet is repeated as the last line of the tenth as is. The sestets are either a quartet and a couplet or two sets of three-lined Terza Rima. Hurt is the place from where light enters, and it did, I realized after my long-drawn medical treatment.
Copyright © Aniruddha Pathak | Year Posted 2023
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