Bathroom break

Waking wearily at first,
No, startled fit to burst.
Laying uncomfortably,
In the bosom of our bed.

Throat dry, nothing said;
Looking around the room.
My eyes locked in lavishly,
To the thing that I most need.

A walking stick, Laying, No leaning,
Against a five drawer cabinet.
Though it was pleading with me,
Reaching out, it wasn't to be.

Though it was only inches away,
Chronic back pain struck at me.
Walking stick might just have been,
On the other side off the moon.

As my festering knee ballooned,
Other one came out in sympathy.
It was at this point my waterworks,
Reminded me, I need to wee, urgently.

Swinging my legs off the bed first,
Wasn't it Dr Smith from lost in space
fame. That used to say, Oh the pain
the pain. To me it's one and the same.

Managed to push myself up gradually,
Pain in my back pushed back at me.
My right hand grasps my stick i felt sick,
As I tried to stand my knee screamed at me.

If it wasn't for my walking cane,
Would have fallen over again.
Shuffling as I walked it was the only thing to do,
Down the corridor just about making it to the loo.





Poetry by Alan J Ripley The PoetBay support member heart!
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Written on 2026-06-25 at 13:42

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Clara Mae Gregory The PoetBay support member heart!
Good morning! I am so glad to hear from you! You are, indeed, The Poet Man! You can turn any situation into poetical expression. And considering the impairments you have to deal with, it is extremely exceptional!
I would love to see this site create a new feature that can honor Poetbay Poets such as yourself, after their passing, by creating oral recordings of the author reading his own work or someone else reading it for them on their behalf. I think it actually was your idea and we talked about it briefly. It would be an awesome way to preserve a poet's work.
2026-06-25