My Right Leg

by Jilly King

The hip, the ankle and knee continue to trouble me;

the ankle, knee and hip bring pain that tightens its grip,

and as for the knee, hip and ankle, these aches so very often rankle.

Long walks are not an option now,

I’d like to stride out but I’m not sure how.

These are problems that cause me worry,

and I can go nowhere in a hurry.

I hobble and wobble and carry a stick

but I must go slow, I can’t be quick.

Is it, I wonder, the sciatic nerve

that is to blame, which makes me swerve?

Or maybe arthritis is the culprit

bringing discomfort. Ah, that’s why I’m unfit!

But perhaps it’s more obvious at my age,

that’s it, my creaky joints now define this stage.

But a firm diagnosis is required.

Is it a disease or am I just tired?

What treatment is needed to stop feeling ill,

do I need an x-ray, an op or a pill?

Are there still doctors to restore and preserve us

when the priority we know is coronavirus?

Triage, e-consult, Skype and Zoom

have removed us from the waiting room.

There’s no quick fix, bound to be a delay

but that’s the new normal, the future, the way.