IN CONCENTRIC GROOVES
Jolted by the doctor’s diagnosis…
More like a death sentence for you…
You're stuck in concentric grooves,
Like a skipping record.
Conflicting thoughts disquiet you:
You could crowd in a lot of living,
You could decide only a fool would try.
How do you handle the immediate?
Do you buy new glasses?
Should you plant cherry tomatoes.
sweet peas, that floribunda rose?
Will you need new underwear?
Facing the months ahead is even harder:
In November the Paul Taylor Dance Company
performs at Mershon Auditorium;
In February Yehudi Menuhin
conducts the Royal Philharmonic.
Do you dare plan
that trip to China one year away?
You focus a zoom lens on daily experiences:
Do you continue an unsatisfying job?
Should you replace your aging dog?
Do you unclutter your closets, your files?
Dealing with the diagnosis,
Stuck like a skipping record
In concentric grooves,
How do you get out of the track?