BY ANY OTHER NAME?

BY ANY OTHER NAME?



What do I call this thing I don

without upsetting anyone?

By any other name so sweet

to catch digested food I eat.



I used to call this thing a 'bag'

as on my belly it would sag

to catch the awful smelly waste

'till in the toilet it was placed.



As fashions change each passing day

and 'bag' is not the thing to say.

Now suddenly, it's not P.C.

to wear a 'bag' as part of me.



But for a wordsmith it's no drag

to find a new word for my 'bag'.

Upon one word I've no reliance

so I might call it my 'appliance'.



For this is what they first called it

when feces had its new exit

from the stoma on my tum

instead of coming from my bum.



For others it's a 'pouch' and they

have every right to have their say.

But this term 'pouch' comes into play

with different meaning when it's 'J'.



Some say it is a 'badge' they wear

to signify that they've been 'there'

and overcome adversity

in life's 'crap' university.



This latter term I like a lot

for it hints at the why and what

of all the things that we've been through

which brings together me and you.



B. Withers 2018

Nice!

Bill... That's simply beautiful... Angelica Marie

Love it, Bill. That's a good one! When you come up with the right name, please let me know because I'm right with you on not really knowing what to call it. (Sometimes I refer to it as "this damned thing I have to wear.") Not quite an appropriate name, I don't think. I need another one..... If anyone can come up with it, it'll be you! LOL

Haha. My husband started calling it Betty from the first day! Not sure where that came from and it may not be nice for those ladies with the name Betty! Lol. I don't call it that but have begun to think of it as Betty. Nothing else seems to fit, so Bill, I'm waiting on you too! Lol.

How to Adjust to Life with an Ostomy with Bruce | Hollister

Thank you all for your kind comments on this blog. It's very satisfying to know that there are still people out there who still read rhyming verse, let alone appreciate it. To Weirdlife: Part of my take on this is that it seems interesting and great that so many people have found their own ways to describe these things. I have found at least 15 different words people have used on this site alone and they are all pertinent to that person's perspective on the issue. Language is evolving all the time and it doesn't really matter what words are used as long as the meaning is there. I sometimes wonder how deaf people might 'sign' the term for our appliances.
Best wishes
Bill

A sad sack, an almanac, good enough for Napoleon and Eisenhower, good enough for me. Wasn't hard to choose between this inconvenience or a slow painful death, throwing up poo... life saver!

Bill

Hello Pirrip. A great choice of words from some great people. It wasn't hard for me to choose either. but bear a thought for those who had no choice, were not expecting it and certainly not wanting it. The shock of waking up and finding it there must be much harder to come to terms with. Best wishes Bill

Bag, Betty, pouch, stink sac, whatever you call it is perfectly appropriate. It is now a part of you and your life, so you should not be judged by what you call "it". Let's hear more of the names floating around out there!

Hello madelynn. Thanks for your reply to my blog. I agree and hope that people will not be ashamed of whatever they call it.
Best wishes
Bill

I call my dog Bob. I try to see him as a pet dog. He is very loyal and never leaves my side. I don't have to feed him, but I do have to clean up after him and take him to the vet from time to time. In company, when embarrassing odors and noises occur, I just blame it on the dog. Bob has become my best friend.

I love it!!

Hello Roger. I love your analogy with a 'dog'. Thanks for sharing.
Best wishes
Bill

Hi Madelynn. Thanks for sharing your positive thoughts on this rhyme. Every little helps in terms of letting us know that people like these literary things.
Best wishes
Bill

I call my pouch "Egor" after Frankenstein's assistant. He is my sidekick. Literally.

Hello Fred383. I like the association with Frankenstein's assistant. According to the Urban Dictionary one of the several definitions of E-gor is:-
Someone, usually an attention whore, who feigns a friendship with others in the presumption that everyone will return that friendship, but no one likes him/her (except for the 1 or 2 attention whore sidekicks). E-gor's can often be found at places/parties where they are not accepted, invited, or liked.
There seem to be elements of Egors in our stoma sidekicks.
Best wishes
Bill

I had not noticed before today, that admin had censored one of my end-words in this rhyme and replaced it with '***'. This makes it look as if I could not find a rhyming word to match with 'bag' so I've replaced the original word with 'drag'. However, I would point out that my original word 'fag', is only an offensive term for a homosexual in the US. Here in the UK the word has been traditionally used to denote a tedious task, which would have made sense in the context of the rhyme. (as did the original choice of word.) I hope this did not distract from the reader's enjoyment of the rhyme.
Best wishes
Bill

Hi Bill, another good one that's spot on.

Thank you ron in mich for your appreciation and support. It's difficult to know how these sorts of rhymes will be received so it's great to get this type of feedback.
Best wishes Bill