Travel Poetry

Elegy to Bodily Functions

Phlegmy coughs on airplane flights
Shoot through my nerves like pain
Mucous globs that crave escape
Stay trapped in throats in vain.

Spit it out!
My silence screams
As yet another hacks
The snot and gunk
that wracks your bulk
Will surely rend yet your seams.

What do you think
your flightmates feel
Who hear your nasty rattle
You're old and frail
and don't much care
As if we were but cattle.

My aged self
now newly fears
The germs and 'crobes
of humans
The lavs are gross
with seats awash
in fluids fresh
from bare buns.

While I endure
the final leg
of this long flight
from Hartford
I pray you whip
that Kleenex out
Or risk my rath,
you turd!

-- L. L. Anderson
24 November 2008
**********************

Ok, so that's how the flight was. Good thing I travel with earplugs.

Yesterday, Tuesday, Rachel and I started the day before our showers with a soak in her hot tob. So luxurious and soothing, with a beautiful view of the hills out the back deck. The weather was overcast and in the 50s, but the tub was warm and made my knees feel great.

Frances was throwing up in the morning, so Rachel called in sick to her job, and we spent the morning taking care of the vomiting kid and wiping up hurl. Frances was feeling better by midday, so we went out to explore their favorite haunts in their neighborhood. We went to Peet's, a favorite roaster, and got coffee, then to Sexy Nails where I got my first ever manicure. Rachel and Frances go regularly, and since they wanted to go, I thought, what the heck. Somehow I thought it was going to hurt, but of course it didn't. I wasn't going to have any polish put on, but gave in and got some peachy brown neutral color. It was fun. The shop was playing some beautiful Vietnamese music videos on the flat screen monitor.

Then we went to Paws & Claws, a locally owned small pet shop and groomer. I bought some pet sympathy cards, which are often hard to find. One for a dog one for a cat. Lunch at a local Chinese restaurant, and a final stop at Farmer Joe's, a natural grocer, where we shopped for dinner last night: salmon, asparagus, rice pilaf, salad, wine, bread, cheese. Two of Rachel's friends came over, and my niece R., and we had a lovely time.