THREE BY MARK O'BRIEN

Lifestyles of the Blind and Paralyzed

The pay is lousy,
no vacations or sick leave,
and the compliments...
You'd rather do without them.

On the plus side,
you're exempt from military service,
get to watch lots of TV
and pay half price at the movies.  
 

They're out there, my public,
dying to ask me what happened to you?,
wondering how I pee
and using me as proof

that God is just
and punishes only the wicked.

 

A Time for Cursing

God damn this wall I cannot punch God damn this bat I cannot swing God damn this eucalyptus leaf I cannot pull down off a tree and hold up to my lover's nose

 

Walkers

Living at their sufferance,
we pay them with our gratitude,
by telling them the lies they need,
like disability's no big deal;
it's overcome by pluck and courage.
Licking ass most skillfully,
we win their sympathy and all kinds of goodies...
chess sets, books, TV's,
maybe even our very own lives.

--- © 1991, Mark O'Brien