Walking the Plank

I’m a drunk without the drink
Wobbly on my feet, knocky in my knees
Seasick without the sea, I’m homesick for the sea
And yet too sick to see the sea
Vertigo and nausea are my sentence
Though my crime is unclear
A drunk without the drink
A sailor on dry land
I walk the plank back to bed¹

1. In 2023, I took a wonderful short class through Minneapolis’s The Loft, Creative Writing Through Chronic Illness, with writer Jay Vera Summer. Jay is not responsible for the poor quality of this piece but she most definitely deserves credit for inspiring folks like me who are finding ways to work within the limits of their conditions and coming to accept that while how and what we once wrote may no longer be possible, there's still room for us to share and express and wonder and write. Thank you, Jay.