SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

Last week, during my annual physical
My internist may have identified (and
Hopefully apprehended) the culprit responsible for
The relentless nature of my headache as well as
Radiating chest pain and fatigue, all of which have
Plagued me so much over these past several months as to
Have compelled my think tank to consult with a variety of doctors

As I’m still making rounds from one specialist to
Another (neurologist and ENT to name two) just
Imagine my surprise to hear my internist’s voice on
The phone calling to say that my blood test results are elevated
And my chest X-ray clarifies an active pneumonia residing
Within my chest though not so much as a wheeze had
Registered by way of her stethoscope during
My exam, and the fact that I’ve not been coughing
Suggests, yet again, that everything is not
As it seems at first glance, which is why, with this
Diagnosis verified, common sense is guiding me to slow
My daily pace, considerably, thus taking my fatigue more
Seriously than had been the case before becoming
Aware of my need for rest and and an intake of fluids to
Cycle in tandem with the compromised state of
My immune system, which will surely revitalize in time for
The child at play within my heart to eagerly enjoy
Costuming myself to trick or treat with
My grandchildren by the end of this month ... and
Now that a thorough physical exam, inclusive of
X-ray vision, has identified the little varmint that’s
Been secretly limiting my social interactions (because all
I've wanted to do for months is to be quiet and lie down)
Let's hope that my positive attitude will offer
This lengthy period of physical malaise sound reason to
Pass sooner rather than later, most especially since
I’ve come to employ the self assertive portion of
My voice as my own best advocate whenever
Something continues to hurt like hell but cannot be
Seen by the naked eye though a mysterious source of
Physical pain (that’s so confounding to my smarts as to
Weigh heavily upon my mind) has been causing
My spirit to flag at half mast for quite some time being that
No physician could convince me that though
My head and chest have been aching for
No found reason that does not mean sound reason for
Physical pain does not exist, and thus, with
Self respect guiding my think tank to consult with
One specialist after another until the thorough nature of
My annual exam verified conclusive proof of
Active I nfection playing hide and seek deep within me
We come to see that my patient persistence has been
Well spent tallying a detailed account of symptoms
(Though none of which brought pneumonia to mind)
And now that the telling results of my chest X-ray holds
The interest of physicians, who had dismissed the fact that
Both of my mysterious ailments have been relentlessly
Lodged within my head and chest, we have clearly
Revealed radiating pain, acting like a siren that's been
Clamoring for attention to announce the most prevalent
Symptoms of a malady not of my processor’s on-going
Stress (though undiagnosed pain is highly distressing) but
Rather of a persistent virus or bacteria or whatever messing
With one of my lungs, and in truth, I'll care not whether
My perceptions have been right or wrong, all along, as
Long as painful illness, which has held my well being
Hostage from fully enjoying social interactions, fades
Into the past, freeing my mind, body and spirit to
Frolic freely and clearly away from this lengthy time of
Undiagnosed physical distress toward feeling blessed to
Enjoy a rosy future with family and friends inclusive of
Snow birds soon to land neath the welcoming
Heartwarming presence of the desert’s winter sun!

As to my plan to swing away from
Life’s tricks toward life’s treats, which
Proves true of everyone, everywhere, now and then—
This lengthy experience of focusing
My concentration respectfully
Toward identifying a mysterious malady has
Proved quite a feat of emotional control, and
Once my head and chest feel free and clear of
Unremitting pain, you can depend upon
My storyteller taking centerstage, yet again
BTW—if daily life running interference with
Best laid plans frustrates your on-going need to
Ratchet up patience so as not to forsake me each time
My freedom to move my story forward stalls—
Let’s pause for a moment to imagine me awakening
Several times nightly before daylight dawns to
Make my way into our master bathroom in hopes that
Upon swallowing Tylenol or Excedrin or Advil, one or
The other will help to lessen the depths of pain, radiating
Throughout my upper body as though half of my whole is  
Consumed within a migraine that threatens more than
Once a day to sink this captain’s ship; however since
This is the only ship I have to complete my on-going
Regatta through this last stage of my life
Guess whose spirit feels self inspired to keep my host of
Inner strengths afloat until my smarts can, once again, calm
Down my ire enough to refocus my attitude toward
Taking a leap of faith toward fully recovering my health from
Pneumonia, at long last, though I must admit that this
Nightly series of SOS alarms, which awakens me to
Night sweats that see me sitting up to throw off my tee shirt highlighting
My need to heal from inside out, proves naturally alarming to
Human endurance being that each next round of
Rough sea squalls arising in the dark has seen
My smile sag until, once again, the intuitive portion of
My processor emerges above each tidal wave of pain so as to
Remind me to consciously reconsider the merits of pointing
My emotional compass toward sound reason to set my sails
Upon sighting the safety of home port, if not straight ahead then
Hopefully soon, where I'll surely feel physically and spiritually
Fully healed, by and by, at which time I’ll know myself to be
Deeply blessed with good health at this late stage of life, yet
Again, and in this manner of mind over matter does
Your friend, Annie, stay sane whenever my elevated level of
Pain would otherwise unleash a build up of
Frustration enough to bite off every loved one's head who has been
Wringing his/her hands in vain while conspiring how best to sweep this
Ornery army of critters out of my body before my immune system has
Regained the vigorous momentum necessary to evict that which
Must be a virus, which laughs in the face of a Z-pak, which
Proved ineffectual based in the fact that an antibiotic rivals
A bacterial infection for dominance, and as I’m no better in fact
I feel worse, at least we can assume that an army of bacteria has not
Sneaked onto the battle field, so perhaps while resting, today
I'll regain some sense of peace, which had escaped me over
These past couple of weeks until my think tank reminded me to
Feel fortunate that my health has not been attacked from both flanks ...
And now, having offered myself a positively focused
Train of thought to soothe this stage of my recovery
I'm back to bed with a first rate historical novel authored from
The point of view of Elizabeth Hamilton, whose
Blessings and travails have been keeping me company for
Quite awhile as I'm on page 336 with more than 300 to go
And rather than signing off, today, as Annie, please note that
I'm feeling so much like—The Little Tug Boat that
(like a salmon, which is instinctively determined to
Make its way upstream but not by any stretch of
My imagination to die but rather to rest for a spell until
My processor’s angle of repose revitalizes my spirit with such
An abundance of good health as to ensure
My smile’s natural sparkling enjoyment of every day of
My life to the fullest extent of my heartfelt capacity!
Toot—Toot!