holiday guests

osteoarthritis is no
friend of mine––
jerking me into
pain at unpredictable
intervals as it
does.

& neither is
sinusitis––
with his dense, dribbling
sobs of mucus
into my clogging
lungs.

but what the hell,
even a ghoul can
appreciate a
caring arm around
the shoulder & a
shared cup of
cheer for the
holidays.

besides––
this suffering is
only my own body
expressing itself
as it
ages––

& fate has
sealed our
intimacies.