"It was a Maimonidean precept that the purpose of keeping the body healthy is to enable the unhindered pursuit of knowledge of God..."
—Sherwin B. Nuland, Maimonides
 

The man in the white garment
peers with his instrument into my ears,
gauging their sensitivity to the concordances.

He shines his light into my eyes,
to read what testament may be written there.

He inspects my largest organ for malignant signs.

He palpates, probing for deviations;
he inserts a prognostic hand.

An acolyte draws blood into small glass ampules,
placing them in a tabernacle marked with a red cross.
I wear her arm band.
Mildest of penance, that viselike embrace.

I am sent off for a scansion of the bone,
for I am an ossuary and worthy of rapt regard.

An advent follows.
At last I receive the imprimatur.
I am pronounced fit.

Holy day!
I observe it with fresh juice in a goblet
and a supper of bread and olives.
I meditate, I assume the poses:
thunderbolt, hero, tree.

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Kate Bernadette Benedict's "lovechildren" are the imaginary kind; she has been married for 27 years! Her collection of poetry, Here from Away, was Editor's Choice in the Philadelphia Inquirer in February 2006. Kate serves as a moderator at Eratosphere, the web poetry forum, and recently launched an online magazine, Umbrella: A Journal of Poetry and Kindred Prose.
Websites: Kate's home page
Umbrella
 

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autumn 2006 | kaleidowhirl