No, not a play on words — would that I wre that clever. (I long ago gave up trying to be clever in poetry because so many others do it so much better. One has to play to one’s strengths.)

“Stool sample” is just an inherently funny expression. I’d be very surprised if other poets haven’t played with that, too.

Mushrooms are odd. For centuries we’ve thought of them as plants, but now they have their own kingdom and are recognized as being closer to Animalia. They was the poisonous ones dissolve the human liver is terrifying.

The other part about the stool and blood samples was great as well. My nurse friends almost died with that one!

Your Fungi poem still has my head spinning! It’s weird because I despise the taste of mushrooms, even though I am fascinated by them. Wouldn’t you know my Chinese doctor just prescribed for me 7 little packages to boil of herbs containing huge slices of giant Reishi (Ling Zhi) mushrooms! At least I can hold my nose, drink it down fast, then rinse my mouth with fresh water!

Thanks, man.

Oh yeah, good catch on “anesthesiologist”! I don’t know where I get the idea that I can dispense with spell check when I’m in a hurry. Thanks, and I’m glad to hear this resonated with you as a hospital worker.

spelling on anaesthetologist, should it be “anesthesiologist?”