WRITINGS FROM FRED POOLES CLASS 2011

1.SECRET

Dear Brain,
You keep me in you.
His face red? I don't remember.
His clothes black? I don't remember.
He walked where he is supposed to walk,next to me on the side of traffic, holding my hand? I don't remember.
Believe it or not, it was this same street? I don't remember.
Was there a mailbox to our left? I don't remember.
Does he talk softly? I don't remember.
Did I believe him when he said,"If I was to kill a little girl, I would cut her up into little pieces and stuff her body into a mail box."
Was I shaking then? I don't remember.
I shake now.
SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE
SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE
SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE
I REMEMBER,
Love, Linda

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++



2. AN IMPOSSIBLE SITUATION

front steps dot dot dot BREAKING
cellar floor dot dot dot FLOODING
green lawn dot dot dot POISONING
house foundation dot dot dot LISTING
wall paper dot dot dot SCALDING
outside paint dot dot dot PEELING
their bedroom dot dot dot SMELLING
kitchen chairs dot dot dot SCREAMING
inside ghosts dot dot dot WALKING
me dot dot dot CRYING
GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!!!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

3. SOMETHING HAPPENED

4 2 weeks he watched.......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched.....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched.......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched.......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched.......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
4 2 weeks he watched.......AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

WHITE OUT


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


4. NO TIME LEFT

HEY LADY!!!!!! hair's thinning

HEY LADY!!!!! watch out, you're tripping

HEY LADY!!!!! coffee's spilling

HEY LADY!!!!! don't kiss, breath's stinking

HEY LADY!!!!! check book's unbalancing

HEY LADY!!!!! bone's hurting

HEY LADY!!!!! skin's wrinkling

HEY LADY!!!! WAKE UP!!!!! YOU'RE DYING!!!!

HEY LADY, STOP LAUGHING, HA HA HA, YOU'RE DYING


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

5. WAITING

Have you ever met someone and mutually, immediately, exchanged bodies, minds, memories, eyes, liquids, and fires
with him?
Even though he was only 20 glowing planets away from my left shoulder, smells of his wife's extra strength TIDE
travelled nose to nose.
Have you ever tasted unguilted saliva suctioned into staglited hungry caves?
Have you ever forgotten how to wait and chosen instead to google then buy sandalwood oil imported from India?
WHAT'S THE COST?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

6. A REAL LIFE SONG

PRAY FOR MY CNA, O LORD, PRAY FOR MY CNA
PRAY FOR MY CNA , OH LORD, PRAY FOR MY CNA


SHE COMES TO THE HOME EVERYDAY
45 OF US TO LOVE
SHE BRINGS US LIGHT, WE NEVER PAY
SHES A GIFT FROM UP ABOVE

PRAY FOR MY CNA OH LORD, PRAY FOR MY CNA
PRAY FOR MY CNA OH LORD, PRAY FOR MY CNA

WE CALL AND SHOUT NURSE NURSE COME HERE
FOR EVERY BODILY NEED
I'VE GOT THE BEDPAN DEAR DON'T FEAR
AND THEN 45 MOUTH'S I'LL FEED

PRAY FOR MY CNA OH LORD OH LORD
PRAY FOR MY CNA
PRAY FOR MY CNA OH LORD, PRAY FOR MY CNA

SOME SCREAM AND SHOUT EVERY NIGHT
IN SWEATY HALLUCINATIONS
MORALS, TEETH, AND HAIR ARE GONE
THE DARK STEALS TREPIDATION

PRAY FOR MY CNA OH LORD
PRAY FOR MY CNA
PRAY FOR MY CNA OH LORD,
PRAY FOR MY CNA

BODIES NOW BONES
PORES ARE STINKING
HOLOCAUSTED INTO SLIME
MY DEATH SKULL ROARS
THERE IS NO MORE
GOODBYE OH GHOST OF TIME!!!!!

PRAY FOR MY CNA OH LORD
PRAY FOR MY CNA
PRAY FOR MY CNA OH LORD, PRAY FOR MY CNA


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

7. ONE SENTENCE

She sweatily hands out copious copies
of zeroxed dribble,
sharing a passion for paper, not trees.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++




8. REAL LIFE STORY


LETTER TO SENIOR EXERCISE TEACHER IN PHILDELPHIA

DEAR LEONORA,
Obviously your class is extremely well endowed by the US Government because they provide free PHYSICAL THERAPY membership to some elders so that we can move, stay well and don't financially burden medicare/medicaid or our supplementalS with payments for ills that come from non-preventive health maintenance. For some strange reason, my insurance companies don't play this free game with me and I pay 300$ a year at this RESOURCE CENTER.
Money aside and back to the class titled MOVE IT OR LOSE IT.....each exercise is designed and engineered to help old people maintain flexibility on and off ice, balance in the kitchen, arm strength to dress/undress/cook/shop and 5000 other skills that healthy 40 year olds take for granted.

You expertly transmit all of these pre-designed movements accurately and correctly but this is my concern which I have previously communicated to you at least 10 times! Yes it is about VOLUME! SOUND! LOUDNESS! MUSIC! TONE OF VOICE! I feel repetitively embarrassed to come over and over to the front of the class to say , "CAN YOU PLEASE LOWER THE VOLUME OF YOUR MUSIC?" And it is becoming clownish of me to keep gesturing from my "EXERCISE SAFELY CHAIR" while waiving my arms and signing, "TURN IT DOWN, TURN IT DOWN , TURN IT DOWN!!!!"
Leonora, I think you must be a written word learner and not an aural learner or listener. So, HERE IT IS!!!!!! IN WRITING..... PLEASE TURN DOWN NOT ONLY THE VOLUME OF YOUR MUSIC BUT THE VOLUME OF YOUR VOICE. I responsibly wear ear plugs to class but LET ME SHOUT...YOUR CLASS IS STILL TOO LOUD FOR ME!!!!CAN YOU TURN IT DOWN?

Your students are in their 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's and have lived through life/deaths/accidents/betrayals/debilitating losses/dementia/alzheimers/sagging skin/depression/ disillusionment/diarrhea/constipation/falls/brain injuries and a gazillion other life wrongs. And there are lots of rights! We are social workers/doctors/mystics/lawyers/fathers/mothers/nurses/entrepreneurs/teachers/meditators/cooks/writers/black belts/functioning volunteers/artists/lovers and care giving friends.

So please use your inside voice with us and be assured that you don't have to infantilize us or cheerlead us back to life. We are alive. STILL. Softly teach this wonderful class and we promise to breathe very kind gratitude to you in return.

In my silent voice,
A participating elder


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++