kickball

Nearly 62
In improper shoes
I made the foolish call
Lets all play kickball

Ages 2, through 10
The 6 assured they'd win
How hard could it be
That young gang against me

First up I scored twice
The feeling was oh so nice
Then I snagged their first kicker's bounce
and prepared to make my pounce

My torso shot ahead
But my feet felt like lead
and failed to arrive
before my face took a dive

I plowed a painful row
With my glasses, face and nose
Then somehow flipped around
and jabbed my elbow to the ground

It jammed an exposed root
like a steel-toed biker's boot
Then I felt two snaps and a crunch
and a threat to rerun my lunch

Ow, ow, escaped my lips
before I made any more slips
I did not want to fright
The kids who saw the sight

As they hovered above my head
their eyes thought I was dead
Dirt and blood adorned my face
and my arm looked out of place

When assured I wasn't done
Joey asked, call 911?
but the little ones showed fear
so no sirens they should hear

As I lay upon the ground
in my pocket the older ones found
my cell phone working fine
and they dialed line after line

Four unanswered calls were made
Then their bravery began to fade
As I looked into their eyes
I could see panic began to rise

3 year old Daisy began to cry
as brother Joey continued to try
with cousin Madison to call
someone to help, anyone at all

3 year old Zoe and Maddie 2
asked, "Are you alright. Can I help you?"
5 year old Mac studied my case
and got just the thing for my face

A bag of ice should do the trick,
stop the bleeding and remove the stick
and the dirt and leaves mixed in
that covered my face from forehead to chin

With the efforts of each child
I praised them in a voice as mild
as I could find in my throat
which came out sounding like a goat

So much ground beneath the oak
filled my mouth I began to choke
But with each earthy coughing spell
I assured the kids I was doing well

I sat up and attempted to rise
hoping to calm Daisy's cries
I wanted to stop her panic and fears
prevent a trauma that could last for years

But she didn't calm when she saw I could walk
or when she heard me calmly talk
So I sat back down and held my arm
to prevent another cause for alarm

My head protested when I stood
with a little spin it said "No good."
And my stomache began to churn
a revolt would accompany another turn.

Suddenly two jeeps, a truck and a car
parked in the drive, flower bed and yard
Everyone who was needed had arrived
My callers' efforts had finally jived

Looks on the adults' faces
betrayed their attempts at social graces
I must have been a sight to see
dirt caked my eyes, mouth, nose and me.

blood with mud, leaves and grass
gathered in a nasty mass
at the bridge of my nose
where my glasses usually go

But my glasses were not there
just a bloody slice where
a flap of skin was peeled back
like a banana for a snack

As I spit out mud and leaves
I was helped to my knees
as I gave the alarm
DO NOT TOUCH MY RIGHT ARM

Husband flinched at my condition
but saved his critical rendition
of what I should and shouldn't do
with kids ten or five or two

As for me my only thought
was what this accident would wrought
I wanted to know if and when
I'd play with my friends again

Madison, Joey and Daisy
won't let me be lazy
Maddie, Mac and Luke
Are certainly no fluke

Nathan, Lincoln and Lily,
and Gabe so funny and silly
Every child who wants my time
cares nothing about my prime

They only know I care
and am willing to share
myself as best I can
and will be their biggest fan

We arrive at emergency care
and people everywhere
looked at me in surprise
with wide open eyes

I guess I was a sight see
There was no wait for me
Should their rush cause me alarm?
Did I break more than my arm?

One thing was really strange
I wasn't feeling any pain
It was shock I was told
that was making me so bold

Xrays told the full story
The site of the break was gory
My elbow was in tatters
My bones all had shattered

It was all gloom and doom
As they gathered in my room
It is really, really bad
is what the doctor said

They gave me shots and started to clean
the horrid face I hadn't seen
and picked leaves and sticks from my hair
I hadn't realized were there

I laughed when husband said
I looked like the living dead
No wonder Daisy flipped
I turned Zombie when I tripped

At the hospital a doctor came in
and told me once again
"Your arm is a mess, I fear
I want to make that very clear"

Goofy from meds I grinned
I wasn't thinking how I'd mend
Painless and a little buzzed
I was thinking how cute he was

I was warned the chances I'd make
a full recovery weren't great
But they would do their very best
And I'd have to do the rest

Sweetie, I thought, whatever
Lets start on this endeavor
Use your skills and do your duty
I'm so glad my Doc's a cutie

That was three months ago
and I have a lot to show
A scar that's long but clean
and I don't mind if its seen

It hides screws and a plate of metal
that have helped the bones to settle
back where they were meant to be
before I fell beneath that tree

Mobility is so much more
than what I thought was in store
Thanks to intense therapy
by therapists dedicated to me

Two really good looking guys
young but oh so wise
in teaching an elbow to bend
and helping an old cougar mend

With work I can still improve
So I continue to work and move
And whatever strides I make
I will thankfully take

I know above all human skills
It was God's love and what he wills
that has seen me through this test
and gives me hope for the best



















Poetry by Phyllis J. Rhodes
Read 598 times
Written on 2010-11-02 at 02:57

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shells
Whew what an epic tale, "I was thinking how cute he was!!" Well Phylllis, what are you like?! Helped to dull the pain I expect, to focus on something else, (or someone). All in all I enjoyed this, you made me smile.
2010-11-02