The chilling winds of Autumn arrive a little late this year, interspersed with one deluge after another, one with destructive winds tearing unmercifully through neighboring communities but sparing us for another time. Then a hard freeze followed by cool breezes with early-fall warmth, grandchildren playing in the yard in light jackets, our Pomeranian trailing them with his four-foot branch, begging for it to be thrown.
bare trees embarking
on a journey to nowhere
will leave in the spring
Fighting irrational gloom, I key into the present, anticipating gastric sleeve surgery three days away. I’d begun this journey forty pounds and four months ago in the warmth of summer, after a spring of depression triggered by weight-loss failures. Five support groups, three meetings with a dietician, a psychological screening, a stress test and meetings with four doctors later…
a weight lifted
as sun melts clouds and blues
cool winds of autumn
Thanksgiving on the horizon, I’ll arrive home amid all the bustle and smells in the kitchen where wife and daughters prepare desserts and delicacies and slice ingredients for the main event two days later, while I sip on green tea and chicken broth without a beef. Soon I’ll feast my eyes on the gathered family as they reminisce and gorge themselves on the abundance before them, while I salivate, watching and rejoicing, taking in the aroma of kinship and love, with a dash of holiday tension.
no carol-singing
‘til leftovers disappear
Noël soon enough
© MLee Dickens’son 22 Nov 2019
Daniel J Ricketts
Hi Daniel, it's great that you've told your story here, all about the preparations, surgery and its aftermath.
I enjoy your haibuns. You always regale us with several. Quite a treat, thanks!
Hope you're able to eat most foods again. Take care,
Psyche
Thanks, Sylvia! Called coordinator yesterday, and last night started cream of wheat (4oz!!) for my "meals" and can have a protein shake twice per day as well, which I mix with my water, to make it more palatable (the water!). Seeing surgeon's assistant early this afternoon to see how quickly I may take next steps and will attend support group tomorrow evening. Wanna get back to exercising, but I'm thinking he'll hold me off from that for a couple weeks. We'll see.
I wrote another experimental haibun (with rhyming prosetry) yesterday, so I'll post that here too, okay? deLightingly, Daniel
Glad your progressing, Daniel. I guess exercising will be very gentle at first. I do Tai Chi about 5 times a week, it's gentle and recommended for my Fibromyalgia. BTW, it's a lot better. I think it's my being vegetarian that's helped.
I'll have a look at your haibun now.
Sylvia
Saw surgeon's assistant today, and they were quite pleased with my progress. Said I've lost eleven pounds since I checked in to hospital for the surgery last Monday! Well on to Stage Two now in my diet, maybe for up to four weeks, but could be shorter. We'll see. eating Lightly, Daniel
I had four stents installed back in 2008, and their new design back then saved me from having open heart surgery. As to my current recovery, I've lost an additional 16 lbs since the surgery, bringing my current loss to 61 lbs. Just about 75 to go. feeling Lighter, Daniel
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