Just Another Monday Poem by Donna Pelan

I had to go for bloodwork
On this monday past
Wasn`t looking forward to it
As it required a twelve hour fast

Got up early monday morning
Got dressed and headed out the door
Checked the gas guage, it was empty
Hadn`t noticed it before

Now, what to do, I asked myself
Do I chance it, or what
I`ll just take my cell phone with me
I can always wake somebody up

Arrived at the clinic parking lot
As quickly as I was able
Looked for my requisition form
It was back home on the table

Now where do I go from here, I thought
Oh well, I`ll try it all again
I made the round trip once more
Perhaps my good luck will remain

I got back to the clinic okay
And found it pleasently renovated, one would agree
After a lengthly wait, someone took my health card
And said, just go down to room number three

So down I go past one and two
But the third room had no number on the door
There was no other room that I could see
So I sat down and waited once more

About a half hour later
Someone yelled, where is three
Since there was no one else in sight
I said, You must be looking for me

And what are you doing in here she asked
I said I assumed this must be the room
Oh! It`s down the other hall, she scowled
Like I should have known that all along

She drew three vials of blood in silence
I was afraid to make a sound
Then she pushed a urine sample bottle at me
Just leave it out there where it will be found

Now I made a mistake early that morning
And went to the washroom as soon as I woke
There was no way to tell her of my predicament
I`d be in trouble as soon as I spoke

And when you know you only have a tablespoon
And your given this tiny bottle to pee in
Each dropp that misses the top of the bottle
Confirms Freuds theory of womens wish to be men

So I left my teaspoon in the box provided
And left the place in haste
I thoroughly wished not to have to return
My experience there left a bad taste

The next two hours were relatively pleasant
Aquafitness makes a person feel really alive
Then I went for a relaxing lunch with friends
My opthamolagist appointment was not til five

As I entered my house the phone was ringing
The eye doctors number was on the call display
Could you come in early? she asked
Actually could you come in right away

Now I had things that I had planned to get done
Some plants I wanted to get in the ground
But the weather had gotten windy and cool
And I gave in to the pleading eyes of a hound

Each of the dogs wanted to go in the car
They had spent many hours at home alone
So I checked the temperature and thought it cool enough
To take them both along

As I drove down down the highway
The clouds disappeared and the sun came out
It was too late to take the dogs back home
I would need to park in shade without a doubt

As I pulled in to the hospital parking lot
I realized that very minute
There was only one shaded spot
And a car was already in it

There was nothing I could do at the time
But zip up the air conditioning for a minute or two
Go in and see how long will be the wait
Then figure out just what I should do

The doctor was still in the operating room
And patients lined each wall
I checked to see where I fit in that line
And headed back down the hall

Every twenty minutes I left the hospital
To cool off these little friends of mine
I placed blankets over the windows
An ran the air ten minutes each time

Every time I came out to the lot
I expected to see the police around my car
I was sure if I had tried to explain
It wouldn`t count that far

I finally got that shaded spot
Out under the big elm tree
And went back in to wait this out
Feeling much more relaxed, you see

I was there about two and a half hours
A stressful time it had been
I got to see the opthamolagist for less than two minutes
Something just seemed wrong with that scene

This has been quite a day, I thought
Just how much crazier could it get
I laughed about it with some friends
But little did I know, It was not over yet

After supper my young friend, Gaby, called
She needed a drive, could I come and get her
And as I backed my car out of the garage
There was a large commotion in the air

Some baby birds had fallen from their nest
Out of the tree thats in our front yard
Numerous crows were circling them
While the mother bird was trying to stand guard

Now I just couldn`t let this happen
So I clapped my hands to scare the crows away
But what ciuld I do with these helpless birds
As on the ground in fear they lay

A family member came out with a step ladder
And our friend brought one from across the street
And in the pouring rain they caught them
And placed them back in their retreat

To see two people on top of step ladders
Showing determination and true grit
Compassion like that should be captured on film
Where was my camera when I needed it?


It was quite late in the evening
When the babies were safely back in their bed
So by the time I made it down to pick up Gaby
She`d given up on me and walked instead

I decided to carry on and go to Shoppers Pharmacy
To pick up the eye dropp prescription I had
I met a friend going in to the drugstore
We laughed about my day - the good and the bad

After about twenty minutes in there
The pharmacist called me over
I can`t fill this prescription, she said
Did you forget you`re allergic to sulphur?

My medical information was in front of the doctor
Right there in white and black
But I guess with only two minutes a person
It might be hard to keep track

So I had to leave without my drugs
They would just have to wait another day
With all that happened in the last twelve hours
It seemed fitting for it to end this way

When I finally arrived home
And crawled into bed that night
I was very pleased to say the least
To be able to turn out the light

When relating the story to my daughter the next day
I dwelled on the negatives a bit too much
Mom, that doesn`t sound like you, she said
Not to remember the good things as such

You had a pleasant lunch with friends
You didn`t have an accident on the highway
You had lots of laughs at the swimming pool
And you witnessed human compassion at play

The pharmacist didn`t allow you
To take something youre allergic to
You managed to make it home in one piece
With many tomorrows to look forward to

I thought about it for a minute
And I knew that she was right
She easily saw the other side of the coin
How did I merit a daughter so bright

So when your feeling a little down
And nothing seems to elevate your mood
Try sitting in a hospital waiting room a few hours
And you`ll know you`ve got it good