Co-Dependent Cath
I met her one week at the depth of despair
At a time in my life when I needed her care,
A verified match only Doc Martz could make,
Knowing wholeheartedly what it would take
To ease my pain and bring back the flow
To fix those problems so far below.
Little I’d figured; little I’d know
That Cath would follow wherever I’d go;
Around the house and in the yard,
Cath dogged my footsteps, making it hard
To live on my own, do my own thing;
I couldn’t stand the way she would cling.
When I left the house, she came too,
Hanging around. What could I do?
When I drove to town, there was she,
No chance to feel what it means to be free;
I went to the john, and she followed me;
Not even the slightest privacy;
And even worse, I could not pee.
I went to see the Stonecrabs play,
And Cath kept trying to pull me away,
Pushing me here, pulling me there;
What an annoyance; it just wasn’t fair!
I pled with Cath to leave me alone,
Go her own way, find another home;
But try as I may, she would not go,
At least not until I met my Flo
At Englewood Hospital, Don’t you know!
Daniel R. Flinn
April 2016
About Daniel R. Flynn -
I have had a fantastic career teaching high school and college English in Washington State, Kenya, East Africa, and northern California. During my last six years in education, I mentored new teachers in the Roseville Joint Union High School District where I served as a professional development specialist. In 2013, I published Dancing with the Ants which chronicles six years of teaching English at the University of East Africa where I also raised my two daughters and son. My wife and I both retired in 2014 and moved to Englewood, Florida.
Could I also give a shout out to Doctor Scott Martz of Englewood, Florida. Like many men I know, I was terrified of seeing a urologist, but Dr. Martz changed all of that. When he walked into the exam room, he smiled, shook my hand and sat down to talk about my problem. He explained everything with kindness and patience and I left his office knowing that I would be in good hands. What could have been a very traumatic experience turned out to be a very manageable experience. He has literally changed my life. I wish men could feel as free as women when it comes to discussing these important issues.