My Dark Sci-Fi

Still photo from the movie “Johnny Got His Gun”

I imagine
A science fiction
Where someone’s mind
Is transferred
Into my body
Suddenly
They can’t move
A muscle
They send mental commands
But nothing responds
They are frozen
They can’t make a sound
Utter one syllable
Or even click their tongue
Their eyes feel open
But they can only see
Shadows
They can’t smell
Because they are breathing
Through a tube
Attached to their throat
They have a catheter
Stuck in their genitals
And coming out of
Their stomach
And all the dull pain
In their ankles
Butt and lower back
I hear them
Screaming
In their minds
Trapped
Helpless
Baffled
Wondering
How they fell into this
Johnny Got His Gun
Nightmare
I hear them screaming
So loud
I can’t tell
If it is them
Or me
Screaming
Let me out
Let me out
Let me out
Then it hits me
Just by the slightest
Quivering of my lips
My last literal possible
Muscular movement
I wrote this poem
I got out
I hear myself
Screaming
I am free
With this science fiction
I am free
I escaped
I am free

THIS BODY

Me, Enjoying the Ride

I wore this body out
Past walking
Talking
Eating
Breathing
I wore this body out
Beyond being able to
Move my
Arms hands fingers
Legs feet toes
Shoulders neck head
I wore this body out
Can’t laugh
Can’t smile
Almost no ability to show emotion
Except cry
A strange substitute
For laughter
I wore this body out
Exceeding my expiration date
Of five years
By eight
Thirteen years of muscles melting
I wore this body out
Lost my sense of smell
When I got trached
Lost my vision
When my eyelids stopped cooperating
The left won’t close
The right won’t stay open
I’m slack jawed
And drooling
Like a harmless zombie
I wore this body out
Until my tires had no more tread
Or rubber
Or even tires
I wore this body out
And had great fun doing it
Got to make some movies
Inspire some folks
Feel immense love
And joy
And loss
Got to see my boys
Grow from babies
To people
With hilarious adorable minds
I wore this body out
And there will be
No crawling from the wreckage
Only enjoying
The ride

Happy 75th Birthday, Dad

Happy 75th Birthday, Dad

The greatest gift
 a Dad
Could give his son
 who has ALS
Is to teach him
 how to use
 appreciate
 expand
 his mind
Because when
 every muscle fails
 the mind
 is all that remains

You taught me
 by example
I was amazed
 at a very young age
 just how much
 stuff
 you knew
Seemingly everything
 about everything  
From politics
 to plumbing
From photography
 to electricity
From fine woodworking  
 to the financial
 inner-workings
 of corporations
You not only had
 a love for music
You built your own
 top of the line
 speakers
 by hand
 to maximize
 your listening
 experience
No other Dads did that
 and I noticed
 and tried to
 emulate you
 and cultivate my own
 interests

So to the guy 
 who is 
 the most curious
 learner
 whose hobbies
 are endless
 whose favorite thing
 is talking with someone
 who knows more
 about a subject
 he’s interested in
 than he does
To my Dad
 who likes to tell
 long stories
 which always have
 surprise endings
 and are full of
 bad
 excellent
 puns
To my Dad
 who’s beautiful mind
 inspired me
 and gave me
 the mental strength
 that saved
 my life
Infinite cheers
Happy75th Birthday
I love you