November verse 12: Post-procedure

Posted on 18 November 2020 | 8 Comments 
November verse 12: 
After a colonoscopy and gastroscopy
as a public patient

Would this have sent Narcissus crazy – 
sight no Ancient Greek has seen,
these gleaming tunnels, pink and mazy,
fleshy caves, mine, on a screen?
From uvula to pre-pylorus,
caecum down to anal torus,
contours of the GI wall:
the tiny camera sees all,
and it's all lovely. But aesthetics 
aren't the reason we're all here.
Snip! Snip! Polyps disappear.
And all for free, no big dramatics.
Britons love their NHS.
It's Medicare that I will bless.

I couldn’t work this into the verse, but I learned the wonderful word dolichocolon, as in, ‘The colonoscopy was somewhat difficult due to [sic] dolichocolon.’ The word has nothing to do with chocolate, as I almost hoped, but signifies an abnormally long large intestine, which now we all know I have.

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8 responses to “November verse 12: Post-procedure”

  1. homageisnotafrenchword | 18 November 2020 at 5.18 pm | Reply

    Lovely poem, Jonathan- taking navel-gazing to a deeper level?

    Good piece in the Guardian on The Crown. Basically, rather crass distortion of truth under cover of artistic licence. Just a species of fake news.

    Liked by 1 person

    • shawjonathan | 18 November 2020 at 5.55 pm | Reply

      I wish I’d thought of that! Yes, the Guardian article is interesting, isn’t it? I’m enjoying the show, especially for Olivia Colman’s performance, but liked Seth Meyers’ comment that there just aren’t enough shots of women staring out windows

      Like

  2. Richard Tulloch | 18 November 2020 at 7.06 pm | Reply

    I know the feeling (and the prep) only too well!

    Look forward to seeing you on Saturday at the grand expo.

    Don’t be shocked when you see Agnes – she’s got an arm held together by bolts and screws after breaking her wrist in a fall. Out of pain, though more surgery required before Christmas – just very inconvenient!

    Richard and Agnes xx

    ________________________________

    Liked by 1 person

  3. irvinm | 18 November 2020 at 8.10 pm | Reply

    Glad it went well

    Liked by 1 person

  4. kathyprokhovnik | 18 November 2020 at 8.27 pm | Reply

    Glad it went well Jonathan but, having seen a photo of your caecum (whatever that is and I’m not going to look it up), I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to look at you in the same way.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Jim KABLE | 18 November 2020 at 10.42 pm | Reply

    What can I add to your friends above (nothing clever or witty) just glad you are okay – polyps “desaparecidos” and hear! hear! for Medicare!

    Liked by 1 person

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