“OK, drop your pants.”
Within ten seconds
of meeting him
my trousers had hit the floor
right along with my pride
“Sorry it has to start like this doc,” I said.
I laughed uncomfortably
He looked at me
as if I were three years old
Two days earlier
I’d discovered an
enormous, discolored, raging mole
on my body
Spent the time since
planning out my last days
on earth
Tearful phone calls
brave emails
where’s the life insurance policy?
Beethoven for the funeral
Quite a fantasy
What can I say?
it’s how I operate
The doc took a quick look
and pronounced it benign
“Let’s just freeze that sucker off
and be done with it.”
He left
and returned twenty-three seconds later
with a small styro cup
of liquid nitrogen
and a long Q-Tip
It could have been a
bad scene for
my future progeny
had he fumbled
with that Q-Tip
even one quarter-inch
But he went right in
dabbed straight and true
told me the thing
would “fall off
in a few days,”
and sent me packing
Outside the office
I took a very deep
breath
Death
That bitch
I know she’ll get me
in the end
But if I play my cards right
and Almighty God allows it
at least I’ll be ready for her
when she puts on
that little black dress
and appears
ready to dance
in
my
doorway
10 responses so far ↓
1 Tom O'Leary | 17 Jul 2006
Love it. And if you see that bitch before I do, let her know that I’m still gettting ready - but it won’t be long. She’ll just have to wait.
2 Cailleach | 17 Jul 2006
I love it too Rob - lovely tight story in snapshot word-images!
3 9rules Featured » Blog Archive » Death, That Bitch | 17 Jul 2006
[...] So often we take life for granted until something happens to remind us we aren’t invincible. Our egos get smacked into place, making us wish we’d done things differently, realizing there is so much still left to do. Robert Bruce writes about Death, That Bitch. [...]
4 howard lindzon | 17 Jul 2006
tough with a happy ending.
5 Robert Bruce | 18 Jul 2006
Tom - We’ll see who gets there first… but yeah, I’ll tell her.
Cailleach - Good words coming from the land of storytellers, thanks.
Howard - You’re the tough.
6 Hisham | 19 Aug 2006
Morbid in some sense, but makes one smile. Love the ending.
7 David Zemens | 21 Aug 2006
What a terrific poem, painted in a way that nobody can ignore. I love your writing style and plan on visiting your site frequently.
8 WPS | 3 Feb 2007
Man, I have to go further back in your archives! A timely piece for me. Here’s hoping we both live in such a way that we will smile without regret when that bitch in the little black dress appears. Peace.
9 Gar | 2 Aug 2007
Nice image–smooth swallow… you’re a bit paranoid of the ol’ white coat, eh? Good to get back to your craft–been away a while.
10 Robert Bruce | American Poet | Knife Gun Pen | KGP Video Short No. 3 | Death, That Bitch | 4 Dec 2007
[...] Taken from the poem Death, That Bitch. [...]
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