THE PSYCHIATRIST’S PRAYER
by Joanna Gilman Hyde
The Tomato-coloured Couch 2:22pm
Once I wore black
for My Favourite Psychiatrist
Jesus Black — black velour sling pants
black push-up bra
briefly hidden by a golden tee
which said “Trust In The Lloyd”
My FP asked if I had made the slogan
I told Him, “No, it came from a movie”
and tore off The Tee
as I sat on an unforgiving mattress
on the floor
of The TQ Room — not a room — an unforgiving space
euphemistically named The Therapeutic Quiet Room
— My hair was longer then
blonder
I might have looked wild —
My Tall Psychiatrist
stood above Me
and looked at the ceiling
and said what I presume
was a prayer
I don’t even know
why He was in there
and I certainly do not know why I was
Note: related passage in The Script
Why? Now there’s a question. 😉
Why I was there is referred to in The Script, toward the end.
Or should I say “How” I was there.
Why? is such a big question once we begin to examine it. How ditto.
Ben, if you read that part of The Script there is an explanation that I discovered as to “Why” I was there. The “How” was that I was put there by force of Code White Team. I would give you the link, but I am not as familiar with doing that as you are. I could try, though.
https://joannagilmanhyde.wordpress.com/?s=The+Script
I did it! Please tell me if it works.
Your link does indeed lead to “The Script”, or at least to a link to it reached by the “Search” facility on your site, By clicking “The Script” on that page one is then taken to the post itself. (https://joannagilmanhyde.wordpress.com/2013/09/07/the-script/)
I had read “The Scrip”t before and, I think, understood it. In my present comments I was trying to refer to a larger more “cosmic” sense of “why” and “how”, partly tongue in cheek. Perhaps this was ill advised and I should be a little less whimsical. A personal weakness I am prone to, I’m afraid.
I did realize your intent with the How & Why, but I just wanted to clarify it on their more mundane levels.
Fine. 🙂
This is really nice writing, I had missed “the script” before. This is apparently autobiographical, so it seems a bit voyeuristic to enjoy the literary aspects of your writing, but all the same, this is nice poetry/writing. I’m sure as with most poetry, all the stronger for the experience.
Thank you so much for your comment. I think most of my writing could be called autobiographical.