Hometown plunger

HOMETOWN ‘PLUNGER’.



You’ve seen those plungers used for sinks

that unblock drains and stop the stinks.

Well now it seems, I’ve one of those

stuck on my side beneath my clothes.



I have this nightmare of these ‘plungers’

for that’s the image that it conjures.

It’s like one’s stuck upon my skin

and sucking out all that’s within.



In my hometown when this thing came

it made me hang my head in shame.

Its rotten, pungent, stinky smell

would often make me feel unwell.



By now I’m sure you might have guessed

about this thing beneath my vest.

This nearly-plunger’s such a drag

it really is a shit-filled bag.



The stoma that it sits upon

is like a great automaton.

I listen to it burp and spit

and know there’s no controlling it.



I understand that it’s not real

and this is just the way I feel.

I’ve tried, but can’t get used to it.

I hanker for a normal shit.



Some’ find theirs is tolerable

to my mind, mine is horrible.

I’ve had it now for several years

and it’s brought me close to tears.



I only hope there’ll come a day

when this thing will go away.

Or, if not, I hope and trust

that someday I might adjust.



B. Withers 2013

Well said, Bill. I am reminded of T.S. Eliot's term "objective correlative" to describe a particular object which immediately evokes the relevant emotion. Your selection of a plunger is most apt. Also, your placement of the word "adjust" at the very end of the poem reminds us that adjustment is necessary for survival and may even require a little plunging ahead. PB

Bill, you are the best. Keep up the good work. I really enjoy reading your posts. Joyce.

Hi Bill, like PB said, it's all in the last line. Ron

Hi Bill, loved the analogy. Sad but piercingly humorous at the same time! Thanks for sharing with us a wry wit, made me chuckle!

My apologies for not replying earlier but I exhausted my wife's broadband usage and so aited until the !st of the month to come back on here. Thank you everyone for your appreciative comments which do help on the motivational front.Best wishesBill

I love this. As someone with a permanent colostomy that had to be converted to a permanent ileostomy in September 2012, I love your poem. Quite creative and quite true. Thanks for putting some humor to an unpleasant situation. I'd love to go back to normal--but it's not going to happen, so I, too, try to work at adapting. Some days are easier than others. It often depends on the condition of my skin and whether I have a blowout or am sick otherwise. I know my life will be a lot more pleasant when I can finally be out and about. After an extremely rough surgery, I've managed to catch every virus and infection going around. I hope to soon be well enough to get back to life and see if I feel differently then. All the best to you--and wishing you the ability to adjust and live the best and most comfortable possible life!!

Bravo!

Well said, that nice poem shows our reality. It's sad but it's true. I never dreamed to have this stuff. I avoided it for almost 6 years, but finally I did have to accept it. Well, I'm alive. That counts. Praise the Lord. God bless you and your lovely wife, and thank you for your nice poem.

Hello hollska,Jupiter and ysoraris. Thank you so much for your comments as they are a prime motivator for searching out new concepots for more verses. I feel that 'adjustment' is often a dynamic, ongoing process, which needs a lot of work at the beginning of the disequilibruim but once you get the hang of it the process of keeping it in balance becomes relatively easier.I wish you all a rapid acquisition of those skills. Best wishes Bill Best wishes