The Poetry Repair Shop

Joe Riley said:

POEM Procedure Helps People with Achalasia Eat Again​

Less Invasive Option May Be Alternative to Surgery

"Achalasia can make swallowing nearly impossible. Many people with the disease require surgery to eat. Now, Duke doctors are using a less invasive procedure called POEM to help people with achalasia eat and drink comfortably again. They are among the few specialists in North Carolina trained to offer this new option." READ MORE

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Goodness! It's always something. Roseanne Roseanna Dana was right.
I'd never even hear of achalasia.

The Old Truck In the Master's Hand​

By Charlie Pelota

The old truck hadn't been used in a while,
But it should be good for a few more miles.
Under the hood, the engine was rusty,
And the interior smelled faintly musty.
Assuming it would start--we all wanted to know...
When we put it in gear, would it actually go?
Someone called,"All the tires are flat".
But a little new air would take care of that.
Better get some fuel, since the gauge is on "E".
Wash the windshield, so the driver can see.
No problem to let it coast downhill to the mechanic's shop;
Next question:Are the brakes good enough to make it stop?
READ MORE

‘Repaired’ by Dean Z. Douthathttps​

Repaired​

Debris drifts down my lacrimosa stream
shards discarded when my life exploded.
Her cheating ripped apart my every seam
left a rubble heap she soon unloaded.

Finding all my parts, your love resummed them
rebuilt a greater whole, I now can cope.
Quelling restive fears, your love benumbed them.
I set a brand-new goal; I now dare hope.

Never could I guess that you’d redeem me
regenerate my wounded dying soul.
Never thought I’d see my true love dream be
produced till you assumed the starring role.

Not dreaming now, I’m wide-awake tonight.
So, take a bow, your love has set me right.



Dean Z. Douthat is a retired engineer residing in a senior living facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Repair Poems​

Photograph by Riho Kitagawa.

How to repair a torn-up letter

1. Gather all the fluttering pieces of paper, or as many as you can. Put them in a pile, in a place where the wind won’t blow them away.

2. Lay them out on a clean sheet of paper, on a hard surface like a desk or table. Try to fit the pieces together like a puzzle. As you do, feel the soft edges of the torn paper. Do you feel soft and torn, too?

3. When the pieces are in the right place, glue or tape (with clear tape!) each piece down to the paper below. Peel the sticky glue or bits of tape from your fingers.

4. Now, here’s the hard part: read the letter. If you already read it—before tearing it up—read it again. Let yourself feel however you’re going to feel.

5. Go to the freezer and get yourself a scoop of chocolate cherry ice cream! (That always makes me feel better, at least.) And then …

6. Get a clean sheet of paper. Take out your favorite pen or pencil. Start drafting a reply.

Happy Columbus Day, 1926!

Title: Prayer of Columbus
Date: March 1874
Creator(s): Walt Whitman