Plaque
January 21st, 2006Save as PDF
Plaque
The doctor — just about my age but leaner –
helps me understand that calcium
deposits here inside my blood vessels
are a sign of atherosclerosis.
He explains my level of risk
compared with other men my age.
I imagine my heart exploding
and am suddenly not so glad to be a Boomer.
He recommends a stress test, statins, exercise.
l feel fine. I want to tell him
that my heart is full; and
maybe that’s what the scanner sees.
Can its electrons tell the residue
of normal human joy and heartbreak
from the lamina of calcium?
Can a joyous memory persist
as pearly irritant within the vena cava?
And can a long-forgotten disappointment
congeal or harden in the vessels
that feed my heart?
Of course it’s only plaque,
remains of meals I’m told
I should have had far fewer of,
pleasures I still can taste,
pleasures I believe can only add —
if happiness is good for us –
can only add to my span of years.
January 21st, 2006 at 9:38 pm
How your mind and heart assess the diagnosis is so beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes. I agree with and applaud your belief as stated at the end of the poem. The joy you feel in preparing spectacular meals (how lucky I am to have tasted some) has brought happiness to you and others.
When my father died, a cousin who was like a sister, asked me what valuable lesson from him I would remember most. I said I could sum if up in one word: Moderation. You enjoy fine food are not obese; you enjoy fine wine and are not an alcoholic. I suspect my veins have plaque also, but I am not about to give up the simple pleasure of a wonderful and memorable meal. I doubt that the exercise & health food fanatics are happier, and only God knows if they will live longer.
January 22nd, 2006 at 9:15 pm
:P