Studio8 - Uniting the Arts

A Doctor’s Office

today
waiting for a cortisone shot
left knee
waiting
in a room of one, two, three old magazines
Geno Smith on the cover of one
and a men's magazine
banner across the top edge of the cover
"Are Men Getting Less Sex These Days?"
something like that
the sex and the less is what I remember

on the far wall a picture of a white stallion
a brown colt he sired
(I interpolate that)
much smaller, younger
and above the two of them running
in place as this is a picture, not a film
two half-transparent horses
with ghostly jockeys in silks
almost neck to neck the “noble” steeds
the sweat
could be seen if it were real
not phantom juice
condensing from the viewer’s imagination
however, the race too is frozen in this print
in a room frequented by the wounded and the lame
canes, age, spouses spry and a neck ahead
of those seeking the victor's pole
which symbolizes home, peace, an easy chair
in which to watch those that offer their legs
in the game of football
to orthopedists
in offices like this
maybe a little more swanky
but without cheer leaders
soft and revealing of limb
and as sexually enticing
as a juicy orange
vitamin C for the mind
but the injured
hopefully only the injured
not the healthy
my God, not the healthy
are having less sex

it is a male thing
the old magazine
to excite if not prurient
at least elegiac interest

the mundane reality of a Doctor's office visit
and look what can be observed in that world.
poetry is everywhere, just waiting to break out.

this reminded me of the phrase "the race is not to the swift" - race horses, and who's getting to have sex. the description of the stallion pictures, the sweat - "phantom juice," like the imaginary sex with the vitamin c cheerleaders, is that phantom 'juice', energy? - anyway, just right.

"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."

so - 'healthy' young men, footballers, will end up in similar offices with screwed-up knees, waiting for cortisone shots, and the halt and the lame might get to stay home in the sun and get laid? you never know.

revolutionR - yes, what you said.

i particularly love this -

theirishsea wrote:
canes, age, spouses spry and a neck ahead
of those seeking the victor's pole
which symbolizes home, peace, an easy chair
in which to watch those that offer their legs
in the game of football

Nice shift from no sex to the white stallion. I like that misdirection and the line break that introduces it. I agree w/Revolution…a real poet will find poetry anywhere.

Nice observation.

68degrees

This piece begs to be read aloud! Real fine work here, Dan!

yup, i like sex

great use of the doctor's office
would never think it related
poetry

in the emotional terrain
of clinical analysis