I felt like Gary Cooper
and his beleaguered Marshall Kane
Danger threatened from without
while the threat drew ever closer,
as the clock marched on towards me

There was no stopping at the church
to ask for some assistance.
Though the church did stop by me,
in the person of my neighbor
Say a prayer, she said to me,
ask for a drop of blood from Jesus
My brain recoiled at the thought,
but I smiled and said nothing
as I walked her to the door

Nor did I make my rounds
searching help from every corner
or try to call in favors
from them not so afflicted
Had there been will to help
there was nothing they could do

Instead I took the time
to mull things over all alone
To come up with a strategy
in how to deal with these offenders
There was no way to fend them off
No, there was nothing to be done,
but to inch myself on forward
and take my chances as I went

But, I had to choose a time
for the train to chug right in
That being the one sole thing
under my limited control

And so I chose high noon
then stood up resolute
Straightened up my RA badge,
and walked outside to meet them
Into the middle of that dusty road
where I confronted them head on

Two came up side by side
small and, seemingly, inconsequential
But what they lacked in size
they made up for in great baggage
I am to be their porter
in this never ending dance
For I must relive this High Noon
for as long as I can see them

***

Plaquenil and its side-effects gang.
Two little pills to be taken at the same time every day.
I took ten days to think things over and then took a deep breath and dove.