Once There Was A Doctor
My Bedroom 11:00pm
Once There Was A Doctor
Very set in his ways
He would prescribe for you
Bed rest for your days
Of feeling worse than shades of blue
So you would stay that way
To keep his grip
He’d hug you tight
To wish you well
Throughout your night
But all in all
It wasn’t worth the fight
He’d meander in
In the morning light
And manage nothing more
Than force your head to spin
One day this doctor chose a bride
He told her she was “honest”
She thought he was a rightly man
To alleviate her chronic
Pain but found herself
In him not tonic
Instead she found she had
No name
And sat around as best she could
To wash his clothes
Put away his books
This went on
For many a year
Until he slapped her
In the ear —
She woke to face him
Square head on
To battle out
Their dance
Till dawn
And still they dance
The dance of kicks
Each the other
To claim their licks
Joanna Gilman Hyde 