That night, at the State Fair, my head throbs; a balloon ready to burst.
“Polio,” doctors say, then send me to the hospital for eighteen days.
All alone on the isolation ward, scared and homesick, I’m wrapped in hot packs sour with sweat. I sleep a lot, don’t eat much.
Days later, I’m allowed a steam-bath. One teen, strapped to a board, is naked, paralyzed. His penis floats like a dead worm. I stare, distressed.
Two neighborhood friends, back home, are now crippled. Pete hobbles around. Patty hauls a steel brace on her right leg.
Everyone says I’m lucky.
I am.
Lucky to be alive is a blessing we rarely praise until the truth of lucky stares us in the face. Great story, Dianne.
thanks, Glenn
we do take life for granted!
This hits so close to home. Takes a minute to wrap your head around the whole thing. Nice job!
Thank you Cascondaville, really scary experience when I was a child!
Excellent!
Reading this gives me the incentive to stick to my exercise regime! How easily we forget the blessing of good health, and the importance of maintaining it. Powerful story.
if my words effect change in one person that’s a true gift! thank you.
As Diane’s editor I was delighted to say yes to this story. Yes! Yes! Great job, Diane.
thanks a million, Liz. great working with you!
The language in this piece is remarkable. I’d love to see this story broken into lines of semi-accentual verse — an adaptation of sorts, but as direct an adaptation as possible. It’s a powerful work of flash fiction: I imagine it’d make a powerful poem, as well.
Adapting this piece to poetry would probably not make it any better; it would likely just make it a bit different. I guess what I’m trying to say is: I like this piece so much, I’d love to have the opportunity to encounter it for the first time again.
Very well done, real and moving without being over done.
thank you, Tom, as you know this is a true story. I recovered!!
Daniel, your comments moved me deeply….I think I may have written this as a poem at first some time ago, but then enjoyed the challenge of 101 words. Many thanks!!!!
Very nice comments on my story, Lucky. Writers are always thrilled to know their work moved readers. Thanks to all!