poetry, Writing

My Beautiful, Broken Ankle

I am a woman, middle aged, no raving beauty, for sure, but the sight of me certainly doesn’t frighten children. My ankle though, my right ankle, that is a beautiful thing! I’m not an expert on ankles, but I know more about them now, than I used to know, because I’ve discovered more about ankles, in particular broken ones, than I knew before I broke my right ankle on AFL grand final day at the end of September this year..

My broken ankle was certainly not a thing of beauty, when I fell, and, on landing, and in twisting the ankle, broke two bones of my ankle, the tibia and the fibula. It was a twisted and painful thing, something of horror. The pain I felt when I broke my ankle was the most extreme pain I had ever previously felt.

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Now though, after three ambulance rides, three hospitals visited, an operation, and some fine nursing, it has all come together, to mend the break, and with some fine further work from my podiatrist and physio, I can honestly say when I look at my right ankle now, it is no longer an ugly twisted thing, but a soft, supple joint, that, even though is not as flexible as my left ankle, it is definitely now fit for the purpose of walking, with or without the help of a walking stick.

I have worked on my ankle, obeying the instructions from the surgeon and podiatrist, as well as the physio. These are the people who definitely do know a lot about ankles, and the healing of ankles that are in need of work.

My x ray I had taken recently, before seeing the surgeon who operated on my ankle, is beautiful too, with the surgeon extremely happy with how things are going. When I read of others afflicted with broken ankles, I can honestly say the way my right ankle has healed since I broke it just nine weeks ago, is a beautiful thing indeed!

And to add to the beauty and positiveness of it all, I have, in my time of needed rest and rehabilitation, written a small poetry collection, written, edited, published and now ready to be launched and made available to the world.

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Yes,”Angles on Ankles”, will be launched just after Christmas, the perfect late gift for anyone who has had physical injuries, that kept them resting, and healing! Whether a broken ankle, or any other physical mishap, there will be something of interest in this little collection for everyone!

The collection will be launched by popular South Australian poet, John Malone, at the P/A Hotel in Gawler, on 29 December, at 1.45 PM, just before the usual Gawler Poets at the Pub event, with Carolyn Cordon as the Guest Poet. There will be much happiness, and a possible showing of scars, to anyone interested!

Carolyn Cordon

poetry

Theme for Today is Change

My first thought, when I read this theme earlier today, was a memory of the cover of the David Bowie album, Changes One Bowie, you know it, this one:

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Then I thought about other bands I was listening to way back when I was young, then I thought about other changes from back then, to now, and that brought out a little poem, a ‘true to my life’ kind of poem that covers a range of things and changes.

I hope readers might get a smile out of this poem, remembering similar (or different) things from their own lives.

It may be relevant to know that my chronic illness is MS (Multiple Sclerosis). I talk about that sometimes on another of my blogs, the one named after the memoir I wrote soon after being diagnosed with this illness, nine years ago.

So here is today’s poem, let me know what you think about it, all thoughts welcome!

 

Fine Changes

I was a Bay City Rollers fan when I was twelve

then I liked The Sweet, and other, hipper bands

than the Bay City Rollers, were ever going to be

 

I used to ride horses, & was stablehand for Dad

now I drive a car, and help care for our dog

same job, more horsepower and stinkier shit

 

I’ve been a victim, then a survivor, and now,

well now, I am thriving, as much as one can

when struck by an incurable chronic illness …

 

That incurable illness, well, there’s no cure yet

but those clever folk are out there looking, so

one day, incurable may well change to curable

 

And that would be another fine change indeed!