Caren Krutsinger | + Follow Poet |
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Speculating Yourself To Death

She speculated in the morning that the dump truck might not come.
But it did.
So she worried that it might fall apart in front of her driveway, blocking her in,
But it did not.
She then speculated that the garbage man might ask her for a cool drink of water,
So she took it out,
But by the time she had laboriously climbed the sixteen outside steps
And finally arrived at the curb, the enormous green garbage truck was gone.
She speculated that the driver had sped up so he would not have to drink her water.
Not entertaining a single thought that she might have been wrong.
She is luxuriously swinging in her freshly-painted porch swing now,
Worrying over and over that her mailman might trip over the rusty garden rake
That her husband left lying across their sidewalk last night.
What if he breaks his neck? She thought.
What will we do then?
Will he sue us?
She spent the whole
Day worrying and
Speculating.
Never thinking
To simply
Move the
Rake.

Copyright © Caren Krutsinger | Year Posted 2018

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M. L. Kiser Date: 10/11/2018 7:52:00 AM That's priceless! It happens though; I know of someone that neurotic. Well penned. Login to Reply Caren Krutsinger Date: 10/11/2018 9:30:00 AM I love it when they are so bent on thinking about how irritated they are, or are going to be, or might be, that they cannot find the obvious.

W.A. Cholt Date: 10/10/2018 5:12:00 PM Sometimes we worry too much about things that will never happen. A very relatable poem. Login to Reply Caren Krutsinger Date: 10/10/2018 9:11:00 PM Aha W.A. I have a feeling you know this person also. Thank you for the stop by.

Rhona Mcferran Date: 10/10/2018 2:07:00 PM Great write! It's an exhausting and pointless way to live, but I've watched many people do this over the years... I don't have the energy for worry anymore- I'd move the rake & focus on something I actually have control over! ;P Login to Reply Caren Krutsinger Date: 10/10/2018 3:08:00 PM I have seen people have almost a heart attack to "prove a point" rather than to simply move the stupid rake.

Carolyn Devonshire Date: 10/10/2018 7:23:00 AM She has a genuine case of anxiety, Caren, as her mind scampers from one worry to the next. Very clever at the end to suggest she didn't act on the most obvious remedy to one such worry. A different type of poem that I found to be witty as well as insightful. Nice work! Login to Reply Caren Krutsinger Date: 10/10/2018 11:14:00 AM I see people worrying themselves to death, and I remember my resolve to never worry again, as sometimes we can do nothing about it anyway.