the new health insurance plan

i set aside four hours

of phone

time to talk with my health insurance

agent.

leaving twenty minutes

for the period

of being on hold and listening

to muzak.

she's a fast talker.

reminds me

of my first ex wife.

slick and sharp.

the knife is in before you know it.

i sign up after asking

what are my choices.

she rattles off

war and peace, then whittles

it down to cost.

no premium, a reasonable

premium and 

then the high ball premium

where 

you get a new heart

and brain at a discount.

first in line.

she asks me about my kidneys.

i look down

and lift up my shirt and tell

her so far so good.

but the night is young.

we make a deal.

she cracks another joke.

she's rodney dangerfield

with the jokes.

then she reads off a twenty digit

confirmation

number. i say i do.

several times, two words i made

a vow to never say

again.

and we're done.