At sixty
the doctor said,
"Prepare to die."
Not ready for death
she followed orders
special diet,
multiple pills ingested.
At seventy
the doctor said,
" Carry on.
Increase these pills
breathlessness will be gone."
All good,
she thought
I got pills.
I got life.
At eighty
the doctor said,
"Things are worse.
Let's experiment
for a longer life."
Medication
replaced religion
giving life.
At ninety
"I don't want to live.
Please Help me die."
Stopping tablets
Not easily done
when the habit of living
is so strong,
pills taken.
No good,
she thought
I still got life.
Written for Carrot Ranch where this week Charli asks:
June 25, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story with the phrase, “I got life.” It can be told from any point of view. What meaning does it lend to your story? Go where the prompt leads!
Respond by June 30, 2020. Use the comment section below to share, read, and be social. You may leave a link, pingback, or story in the comments. If you want to be published in the weekly collection, please use the form. Rules & Guidelines.
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
I agree Noelle. 60 is definitely too soon to start worrying. It was just this character was told she was not going to make Christmas but she went way past the time given her.
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
A tale of a turning point.
LikeLike
Yes a turning point but too late to make it happen.
LikeLike
Wow! Changing perspectives, changing desires. Well done!
LikeLike
Thanks Sharon. You probably understand this well.
LikeLike
Such a thought-provoking story, Irene. I never thought about how one’s fight to live might have consequences of too much life. All in balance, eh?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes definitely need balance. Unfortunately when we go off balance we are too far over before we realise and then it is too hard to rectify.
LikeLike
Pingback: I Got Life « Carrot Ranch Literary Community
Great job! But people at 60 should be told they still have a long life ahead of them. Waiting to die is no fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree Noelle. 60 is definitely too soon to start worrying. It was just this character was told she was not going to make Christmas but she went way past the time given her.
LikeLiked by 1 person