A Cripple’s Tale
 
The female version of Quasi Modo lurched
Through the store’s doorway with her two rubber tipped canes
People glance her way
And avert their Eyes within Closed Expressions
Cripples are difficult to Behold
Especially those who scuttle and lurch painfully about
With Old Lady canes and walkers
One glance
And the Cripple is
Dis-missed
Dis-regarded
Dis-carded
A Lesser Being
What could they possibly have to offer ?
Cripples are to be Pitied
Pitiful creatures of Mis-fortune, that is what they are
Cripples are to be Sympathized over and about
Bless their little Hearts….
At times made fun of
So spunkier Cripples will always tell the Cripple Jokes first
They hurt less that way
There is something darkly comforting about being able to
Laugh at Your Crippled Self in and with a Crowd of Others
There is a bitter-sweet Comraderie about it
Then, one Bright Day there shines a Ray of Hope
A Kind Doctor
Working with a Charitable Hospital
Says, “Come Cripple
You need not always Be so
Take my Hand in Trust
Jump through the necessary Bureaucratic Hoops
For this Golden Opportunity
And I will set You to rights
You will Walk again !”
And so the Cripple took the Kind Doctor’s Hand
Hobbled, scuttled and lurched through every Bureaucratic Hoop
Available to this particular Cripple
Because the State she lived in had deliberately Refused
The Affordable Care Act’s merciful Medicaid Expansion
Yes, the Cripple did so Patiently
And with persistent trepidation of failure somewhere along the way
But Failure never raised its ugly, usurping Head
And with every day that Failure did not appear
Joy began to Grow and strengthen Hope
The Cripple who thought
That they would enter an early grave
Because of her ten year old accidental injury
Instead has been Renewed by Joy, Hope and Faith
Joy at being made Whole once again
Faith in the Good Doctor and his Blessed Skills
And in the Charitable Hospital’s Charity
And Hope for a
Hobble-less, scuttle-less, lurch-less,
Cane-less, walker-less, wheelchair-less
Practically Pain-free Future
A Future worth Walking Into and Beyond !!

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