Pain of arthritis and suffering unnecessarily.

years ago when you limped around like a maimed
horse about to give up the ghost
your thigh bone kissing your shin bone
banishing the knee from their torrid love affair
crushing it into dust under the gnashing of each embrace
I wondered what self penance you were inflicting upon yourself
punishing some secret sin
convincing you to endure such pain
daily giving yourself The Discipline
although your Baptist upbringing forbade it
you ignoring God’s perpetual forgiveness
yet you mentally whipped and whipped until your body
could not tolerate the adultery your leg was engaged in
the painful copulation forced the mutilation of your spirit
with each lustful grind and twinging touch
until you gave in and laid down
and invited in a new knee to hold the lovers at bay
now the pain has crawled away sulking and full of vengeance
only to occasionally sneak in to caress gently
the new resident of past destruction
kissing it tenderly then hiding its ugly head again
to wait patiently for the passion to become inflamed again. 2006