hemorrhoids

this time it’s
hemorrhoids,
and they’ve been
bleeding since Sunday.

the doctor
wants me to have
surgery,
but i’ve been
putting it off.

needless to say,
it’s a real
pain in the ass.

i’ve even resorted
to shopping in the
women’s section
in the pharmacy…
buying pads
for the blood.

with not one
single
shred of dignity left
i take my
prescription,
the preparation H
and the pads
up to the counter
to pay.

the girl looks at me
and smiles.
i can’t tell
if she’s just
being polite
or
has already figured out
that i’m useless
and old
and have
hemorrhoids.

unable to look her in the eye,
i pay,
walk out
and drive home,
sitting on a cushion,

thinking about her…

thinking:
it’s okay, kid…
it’s all yours, now.

every bit of it.

but don’t worry…
sooner or later
it catches up with you.

it always does..

eventually…

inevitably…

life
always gets you
in the end.

some related articles are listed below:

1. john yamrus | after work John Yamrus has been a fixture in American poetry for four decades. Since 1970 he has published 2 novels, 15 volumes of poetry and more than 900 poems in magazines around the world. Selections of his poetry have been translated into several languages including Spanish, Swedish, Italian, Japanese and (most recently) Romanian. His newest book, SHOOT THE MOON, is available online from amazon.com ...
2. john yamrus | dear john… “Dear John: Concerning your most recent poem… as always, it’s engaging and technically correct, but you’re beginning to sound a bit one-note to me. How about trying a poem that isn’t about other people’s poetry – or, better yet, a poem that doesn’t even mention poetry?” hi; i’m writing to you to let you know i appreciate your concern for my literary safety… but, poems are like cookies… sometimes you just get cravings for one particular type. right now, i’m into chocolate chip. that being said, in taking your comments to heart, i went back and checked… i’ve sent...
3. john yamrus | she said Illustration: Jean-Claude Claeys she said “you stink, i can’t stand to even look at you. every time you lay hands on me my skin crawls. eat shit and die you bastard.” as she left the room she didn’t hear him say “i hear THAT, darlin’, i sure hear that.” Please click the cover to see the back. from John Yamrus New and Selected Poems, Published by Lummox Press, POB 5301 San Pedro, CA 90733, www.lummowpress.com with an introduction by Todd Moore. Authors Note: Please bear in mind that this book is nothing more and nothing less than exactly what the...
4. todd moore | how to survive the coming night: the poetry of john yamrus The kind of poetry John Yamrus writes is what most people would tell each other over drinks at three o’clock in the morning if they were conscious enough or literate enough to talk like that. This is not a poetry of metaphor and simile. This is not a poetry of rich literary allusion. Or, lets put it this way, this is a poetry of bare bones literary allusion, the stuff needed to get you through the day or night. Heroes like Steinbeck and Bukowski and though I don’t recall a mention of Gerald Locklin, I think Locklin must mean...
5. john yamrus | i’ve got… i’ve got a this hair on my nose, near the tip, and no matter how often i cut it, or pluck it, it keeps coming back. damned admirable… don’t you think? Share and Enjoy: ...