First Poem From the New Chair

This chair, like the gift of voice,
Was a gift from my wife.
Unmerited and unexpected,
It was made in New York
By highly unionized brothers and sisters
Who waited and worked from March to May
To finish its burgundy coat.

My chair has space-age adjustments.
It is designed to defy gravity.
One's lower extremities
May rest well above one's heart.
When used with the deluxe
Adjustable table,
It permits me to emulate
The worthiest of space captains.

This is the first time I connect
All three devices of my aging:
The chair, the table, and the computer.

I so want to do this right. To set a precedent.
I want to be able to come back to this one over and over again,
Trying to remember and recapture this comfort.
I want to use this as ammunition against
The shadow which will attempt to creep
Upon the nursing home floor.

Let me tell you more about my chair.
It is chair that defies gravity.
It permits the legs and feet to live higher
than the heart.

It permits one to rest without taxing
the musculature or organs.
Equipped with the optional rolling adjustable table
It permits me to ply this notebook while I take my ease.
In retirement one ought not to strain.
One ought to have certain comforts.
This chair is one:
It permits me to recuperate while I relax.

--James Bolner, Sr. ©2000
May 3, 2000
Baton Rouge, LA