"Foley Catheter" by Kimberly Johnson

View this email on a browser Forward to a friend Support Poem-a-Day January 15, 2020   Foley Catheter   Kimberly Johnson

I clean its latex length three times a day                             With kindliest touch,                Swipe an alcohol swatch   From the tender skin at the tip of him                            Down the lumen                 To the drainage bag I change   Each day and flush with vinegar.                           When I vowed for worse                Unwitting did I wed this   Something-other-than-a-husband, jumble                             Of exposed plumbing                And euphemism. Fumble   I through my nurse's functions, upended                              From the spare bed               By his every midnight sound.   Unsought inside our grand romantic                             Intimacy              Another intimacy   Opens—ruthless and indecent, consuming                            All our hiddenmosts.               In a body, immodest   Such hunger we sometimes call tumor;                            In a marriage                It's cherish. From the Latin for cost.            Copyright © 2020 by Kimberly Johnson. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on January 15, 2020, by the Academy of American Poets. About this Poem   "This poem arose out of the experience of caring for my spouse as he underwent prolonged treatment for cancer." —Kimberly Johnson   Kimberly Johnson is the author of three poetry collections, most recently Uncommon Prayer (Persea Books, 2014). She teaches Renaissance literature and creative writing at Brigham Young University and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Poetry by Johnson   Uncommon Prayer (Persea Books, 2014) "Wrong Question" by Lisa Olstein "Prayer to Our Lady of Waiting Rooms" by Carrie Shipers "Domestic" by Deborah Landau January Guest Editor: Meg Day   Thanks to Meg Day, author of Last Psalm at Sea Level (Barrow Street, 2014), who curated Poem-a-Day for this month's weekdays. Read a Q&A about Day's curatorial approach and find out more about our guest editors for the year. A culture break, a source of daily renewal...   If reading Poem-a-Day has become a meaningful part of your day, please consider supporting this free series with a donation. Your gift makes publishing Poem-a-Day possible. Thanks for being a part of the Academy of American Poets community. To learn about other programs, including National Poetry Month, Poem in Your Pocket Day, the annual Poets Forum, and more, visit poets.org   Unsubscribe here.   © Academy of American Poets 75 Maiden Lane, Suite 901, New York, NY 10038

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