AGAINST THE GRAIN

–

A young man at bank drive through,

The pretty young woman would do…

Working among women

Was his head swimming

With all he might see, too?

–

I think he was “Eddie” by name,

An intern at the eye doctors’ came…

To be a technician,

Not normal tradition

But tried his best, all the same!

–

I was an “honorary woman”

With Home Health Aide staff meetings coming…

“Now Ladies,”she’d say,

Nodding my way,

You are keeping this Agency humming!

–

In nursing homes the dementia ward,

Was where I worked the floor…

Women and men

And back again,

Nothing that was untoward.

–

Of course not all wanted me,

Most men, especially…

A sweet young thing

Gently washing

Was tender reality!

–

Women who couldn’t realize

I was a man were mostly mine…

A young one with injured brain

Made me nervous all the same,

News reports of abuse frightened the mind.

–

This subterfuge was my job’s death knell,

I didn’t transfer one that well…

Nurses’ station was full

Of folks with great pull,

Surprised a few colleagues as well!

–

–Jonathan Caswell