A pair of wood storks were lazing
on the verge of the pond that
imagines itself a lake, however small.
They were breakfasting in the grasses
that arise in the dry season here
only to be drowned by its counterpart.
They acknowledge that like me
they are retired but not by choice, they say,
only because the malpractice insurance
for delivering babies has grown
so outrageous in amount, and
the insurance reimbursement rates
to be in network providers so small,
their old trade is now a losing proposition.

A NOTE TO MY SUBSCRIBERS/READERS

I began this daily blog on March 26, 2016. Since that date I have made over 3,300 posts (trying very hard not to be repetitive). With a new collection of poetry and short prose coming in this month from Plain View Press entitled “Free of the Shadow,” I will need to spend some time on its launch. So I will be dialing back this blog beginning on April 15 (I know, taxing myself less on Tax day seems a bit ironic) to three posts per week. The format will remain the same. And when the book launches, I will have a special offer for all of you to acquire a copy.