Giving It Away (Poetry)

It starts and ends with wires — tubes
feeding in and out
the ebb and flo controlled
by tides and regulations —
the electronic blip across a screen —
a sea of pumping red —
a line of blood.

There were those dying for a pint —
anonymous
I gave to charity
mind and body strong enough
to bear the loss.

My donations measured by a plastic pouch
labelled as to type —
no way of knowing who why when
or how the gift was used.

If it should ever come to my turn
to receive instead of give —
a case of die or live —
watching levels — pressures — the surfing wave
of consciousness ebbing — rolling back
I anticipate a karmic sense
of balance as things equalize
and a time to give thanks.