Precious moments with my buddy Patrick!

Neighbor Patrick comes over for a brief visit.

He heard my voice when I ran up the street to give Mailman Ken my letter to Judy Diaz. I had two Spring Flower Stamps stuck together but Ken unstuck them. I looked at his neatly-trimmed nails. He trims them himself.

Pat and I chatted a few moments in front of his blue house which sits tall and proud atop a hill.

We talked about my diabetes. I told him I'm doing very well. Pat said at work there are several people with diabetes who have gone low, which means their blood glucose level has fallen preciptiously low, endangering their lives.

One gentleman, he said, lost the ability to speak. All he needed was to chew some glucose tablets, but no one knew where he kept them.

Pat went over and told the guy that the EMTs would soon be there. They're the only ones allowed to help the powerless person with diabetes.

I told Pat I carry Protein Bars - with chocolate and peanuts - with me at all times. Pat said he loves these, but the ones at the Giant are too expensive.

He came over, I gave him one, and showed him the box. They can't be all that expensive, I said, since they're the Giant brand.

Giant Protein Granola Bar - Peanut, Almond and Dark Chocolate. Mary Ann Moylen, Giant nutrtitionist, introduced me to them. Howdy-do, I said, and they quacked back. 10 mg of protein, the highest in any bar.

I never leave home without them. They're in my backpack, glove compartment, and my stomach.

I printed out my diabetes poem for Patrick, telling him the poem tells what happens when you go low.

 I drank about three huge cups of Decaf last nite. I dread making it cuz it takes a long time to clean the coffeepot.

I was up until four, finishing my entries for today's Coffeeshop Writers' Group in the Giant Coffeeshop.

 Before bed, I rode my stationery bike - which I showed Pat - for 20 minutes since I'd eaten


It has lots of carbs.

 I slept until 11 and then had a mushroom-green scallion omelet for delicious breakfast. Scott is over at Mike Kramer's helping him fix his car.

 Oh no! Not YOU again. I bought two pair of sunglasses on my trip to Baltimore, at the Visionary Museum.

$5 apiece. My mirrored sunglasses remind me of Rod Steiger's in the classic movie "In the Heat of the Night" with Sidney Poitier.

Best Picture in 1967.

Right here is the Best Picture in 2014.

DIABETES HOLDS THE POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH

In the middle of the night

I awoke

something was wrong

very wrong

my legs propelled me

past my stationery bike

and down the stairs

darkness outside

darkness within

Watch me stumble

to the kitchen

switch on the light

it blinds me with

its wah-wah rhythms

Leaning over the

table, I think

“You’re low!

Your sugar

so low you’ll

pass out." Scott

will find you in the

morning, blue, stiff

ready for the sarcophagus.

My brain had forgotten

how to think

See me pound my

fist on the table

Save yourself or die!

A shiver of thrill

went through me

I saw Mr Death,

sitting in the empty chair.

Fucker! I cried,

as I found my bag of

whole grain pretzels

at the table’s edge

Crunch! said the bag

I stuck in my hand

a bear at the hive

and came up with all

the honey I needed, and,

shaking, trembling,

and sweating,

saved my life.

This time.