A doctor once called me
After an afternoon of pokes and prods
He said
“When we dig we find stuff.”
He said
“Life is going to be hard for you.”
He said
“It is what it is.”
Like he was talking about the weather report
Or what detour to take home that day
Because of all the construction
But his way is not my way
I said
“Knowledge is power.”
I said
“Whose life isn’t hard?”
I said
Well, really, what can you say
To a man like that
A few years have passed
Knowledge has given me strength
Like what separates a good doctor from a bad one
Which my new, beautiful, lovely female doctor
Could write several books about
The hard parts of life are more than balanced
By the fantastic
By the surprising
By the abundance of hope
And it is oh-so-much more than his “is”
Muttering Retreats 