T.O.A.S.T.: Teaching Old Age Skepticism New Tricks

Home School for Skeptics
Five Births Via Anesthetics
 
Skepticism is a good thing
to which we all may cling
intelligence it may well bring
your brain functions will sing
become a queen or a king
of everything and nothing
prying logically paralleling  
all that is told all that is telling
find some kindness and loving
keep on moving and grooving
pathways and doors opening
keep on grounding, proving,
establishing a solid life base
stay in the reality rat race.
 
Being a seven-minute sonnet rap on my 70th birthday
 a life worth living ever since then
C section number three for Mommy
then two more my younger sisters
two older brothers were the others
her Chinese anesthesiologist Dr. Lu
said “we’ll put a zipper in there
if you are not all through” the adults
laughed over coffee at the kitchen table
us kids wondered was this able to be done
days later us skeptics asked Mom for fun
she showed us her scar and that was that
this one took longer than seven minutes
but that’s what I thought when I did begin it
looking up the correct spelling of anesthesia
took away time and a small part of the fun
I wanted words spelled correctly to please ya
a true birth tale about Mom the cesarean queen
seven minutes time two equals fourteen
that is the time it took to write it, about
my birth and after and how I came out
a Chinese doctor saving my mother using
anesthetics for five healthy births, on the scene
I remember the zipper tale on every 09/14.
 
Keeping Mind and Memories Open
Inspired by Passage 49 of the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, 6th century B.C. Chinese philosopher
 
I am an aging person who is slowly losing my mind
the collective mind of humanity is becoming mine
the salt sorrow joy vinegar acidity honey and wine
to those who have been kind to me I am kind
with those who treated me unfairly I’m fine
kindness gives me peace. I make a peace sign.
those who trusted and love me I trust and love
and those who did not trust me I still trust
my mind is filled with both diamonds and rust
rust is formed by oxidation. I am still breathing.
Fixed opinions and belief systems halt the flow
some things I don’t want as my brain begins to go
I take in everything I can as I keep on wandering the
fragility of the world and its people keep me pondering.

Joey ‘Pepe Batbon’ Connolly (Special to the Saipan Tribune)
Joey aka Pepe Batbon is a retired educator who taught in the CNMI, NOLA, and LVNV. He is a sonnet practitioner who enjoys stargazing.