My Body Says

(Suited for performance)

My body says scream my body says pain my body says groan my body says grunt – grunt louder than Maria Sharapova my body says take that my body says heavy my body says stumble my body says slip my body says fall my body says fracture

My surgeon says broken ankle, my surgeon says plate my surgeon says screws my body says pain my body says idiot my body says limp my body says ache my body says give me pain-killers my surgeon says get a prescription from someone else. What, get a prescription from someone else?!

My body says osteoid-arthritis my body says I’ll grind your bones until you’re dead my body says you will fulfill your father’s prophecy   buried in your genes my body says shout my body says scream my body my body says groan my body says grunt – grunt louder than Rafael Nadal

My surgeon says stage four flat-foot my surgeon says foot fusion my surgeon says recover my surgeon says feet first my surgeon says hips later surgeon says wait my surgeon says left, then right, then pins in your hammertoes my body says What? Pins in my hammertoes?!

My body says polyneuropathy, my body says my body electric my body says flail like downed hydro lines during a Montreal ice storm my body says pain my body says scream my body says shout my body says groan my body says grunt –grunt louder than Maria Sharapova

My surgeon says ankle fusion my surgeon says you’re screwed my surgeon says slow recovery my surgeon says your left ankle has failed my surgeon says replacement my surgeon says tricky my surgeon says we’ve tried everything else. What? Cut it off?! My body says pain my body says scream my body says shout my body says groan my body says grunt – grunt louder than Raphael Nadal (slowing, and softer) grunt louder than Raphael Nadal.