Whol Once Again

 

His wife lie semi-comatose in bed at the hospice

for the dying, unable now to respond to him.

Early that morning, he was her first visitor of the

day. As he spoke to her, she would occasionally

open her eyes halfway and without as much as a

whimper, close them once again.

With her mouth half opened, he noticed that her

dentures were missing. The night nurse must have

removed them, possibly to help her breathe easier.

He knew how conscientious she was about anyone

including him seeing her without her teeth. He went

into the bathroom and found the dentures on the

bathroom shelf over the sink.

Even in her semi-conscious state and on her death bed,

he knew how embarrassed she would be to be seen

without her teeth. One last wish, her husband figured,

had she been able to have one final vestige of her vanity

it would be to be remembered with her complete set

of teeth. Plastic or the enameled originals was of no

consequence anymore.

She opened her eyes halfway as her husband gently positioned

the uppers then the lowers. Without a whisper of gratitude or

regret, he knew that she knew as she peacefully closed her eyes

again. And for the very last time, she was whole once again.

                                                 -30-

Chris Hanch 10-29-2022

Relief

 

As an avowed non-theist,

it is comforting to know

that at least politics, religion

and the concept of lying will

no longer matter, and that

the timeless expanse of

Eternity runs commercial

free, where even the most

ardent ill-at-ease can in-

inevitably and forever

rest in peace .

             -30-

Chris Hanch 10-29-2022

More Lessons Learned

 

75-years I’ve been here on this fine Earth,

and there is so much left to learn. At my

age with so little time left, I am willing to

learn new things I managed to miss along

the way.

Why just the other day as I watched a

program on TV, the announcer defined the

difference between jail and prison, two

entities with which I have been familiar

most of my life. Jail is a place where a

suspect is confined behind bars, supposedly

considered innocent until proven guilty in a

court of law.

If and when convicted, that person may

receive a sentence and sent to prison. This

is a distinction which escapes many, previ-

ously including me. That interesting tidbit

of information at my age and declining

state in life is unlikely to serve me at this

stage of the game.

Given my disabilities and with limited societal

contact, my chances to be considered either a

suspect or a convict are slim to none. It did,

however, give me fodder for this piece I pre-

sent to you here today.

Another revelation I was exposed to recently

pertained to autumn and the colorful change

of leaves which occurs on deciduous trees

this time of year. Did you know that the red,

yellow, orange and gold colors are the natural

and permanent hues of their respective trees?

And it is the chlorophyll which changes them

to green. As the chlorophyll dissipates in the

fall due to fewer hours of sunlight and cooler

weather, the leaves revert to their original colors.

So, there you have it and for what it’s worth to

you who are still vital and active in society.

At no charge, I pass along this sage advice—Do

your best to stay crime free, avoiding either jail or

prison. And for all its worth, enjoy the turning

colors of autumn leaves. Also, use spell check,

chlorophyll is a tricky word to spell.

                            -30-

Chris Hanch 10-27-2022

random access

 

deep dish pizza

pan-fried steak

an unusual way

to begin the day

with poetry

you say

bump on a log

harley hog

allow me

to start

all over again

slide trombone

home alone

find your own way

to begin the day

ferry cross the mersey

is the only way

to get there

from here

sans caps

without punctuation

an occasional rhyme

at times

is the process

i choose

bullwinkle j moose

mother goose

thats much better

its all a meaningless

bunch of crap anyway

close the door

on your way out

             -30-

Chris Hanch 10-26-2022

The Nurse's Visit

 

The nurse practitioner from the VA

has an appointment with me at my

apartment today—yearly physical,

you know.

I’m 75, still alive with arthritic pains

here and there. I have smoked some

60 of my years away, and I have

managed to wake up yet another

day today.

Can’t expect much more than that

given my poor condition and advan-

cing age. I could have told the good

nurse so over the phone . But VA

protocol demands a patient visit

face-to-face on an annual basis.

So, in deference to her health and well

being, I’ll slide the patio door open

and air the place out before she gets

here.

She has other people to see after me

and other places to go. Not me, though.

I look forward to lighting up after she’s

gone. At my age, you see, it’s the simple

things I have to look forward to.

Seems to me, good health these days 

of my old age, and nurse’s visits from

the VA just get in the way.

                     -30-

Chris Hanch 10-25-2022

Something about Flowers

 

Without flowers, where would we be?

Limited to wishing happy anniversary

or Valentine’s Day. A flowerless society

would be lacking rainbow bouquets of

color to see and aromatic fragrances to

breathe.

Without flowers, sending our regards,

best wishes and condolences would be

woefully insufficient when expressing

our sincerity.

Without silver bells or cockle shells,

how would Contrary Mary’s garden

grow? How would it be that in song,

Everything’s Coming up Roses? And

in biblical verse, without the Garden

of Eden, where else on Earth would

Adam and Eve be?

Why, without flowers, birds, insects and

blossoms would not pollinate and thrive.

Bees would waste away uselessly confined

without sweetness to their hives. And

lovers would not use Honey as a term of

endearment to ingratiate their lives.

                          -30-

Chris Hanch 10-23-2022

Motivation Misplaced

 

I feel motivated today.

But confusion and indifference

came into play.

And I’ll be damned

if I know which direction

to take.

Oh well, tomorrow perhaps.

Old saying applies, you know—

tomorrow is another day.

                   -30-

Chris Hanch 10-18-2022