Extrapolate: Preparation

Here we are
In April again,
Round and round
And back again,

Nothing much
Is happening here,
Same old chores,
Same old fare,

Preparing for work
And performing
Same old
Necessary duties

But all things considered,
Grateful even
For the monotony,
As have seen much worse;

Pain management strategies
Continuing to work,
Nevertheless, from the effort
I can never shirk,

As what's around the corner
Remains unknown,
Must remain vigilant
For whatever may go down,

Wondering how much longer
I will be around
And what will remain
When I am gone,

Will the old world
Still be here,
Or will it finally
Disappear?

Extraction: Pain Management Smörgåsbord

Experimentation
With food remedies,
To ease my pain
Has produced results,

Vitamin D:
Positive effects seen
On arthritis foot pain
Within six months;

Jalepino peppers:
Less foot pain again
Three months
And counting;

Raw fresh ginger,
In foods and drinks
And even straight up
Three times a day,

This oddly-shaped root
That grows
In exotic places
Produces amazing results:

Less pain in the joints,
Less achiness
Over time
And only after six weeks;

But yet still
The best remedy of all
Seems to be regular exercise
And a regular schedule with regular rest,

A tall order sometimes
But helpful
When possible
Nevertheless.

Extracting: Drinking the Moment

Returning to the present:
Restlessness,
Sloth and torpor,
Concentration,

Feeling the energy,
Hearing, seeing,
Observing the happenings,
Being with the breathing,

Thoughts come and go,
Passing like clouds
Through an endless sky
And disappearing over the horizon,

Sensations of heat and cold,
Grow and change
And merge
Into one another,

Close examination of pain
Reveals vibration
And a rainbow of colours
In the mind’s eye,

Fascinated by the show,
And so,
Forgetting about
The discomfort,

Sitting, as on a throne,
At the top
Of the world,
Looking outwards,

Spaciousness,
Melting into
The clear blue
Of the afternoon sky.