Away from home with
no bed to sleep in or
bathroom to use, I lose
all sense of familiarity.

Out of my element hardly anything
functions properly: my brain,
dull; my body, sluggish; my mind,
a constant backwards hop—unable

to finish one thought before skipping
on to the next. I do best with normalcy,
but I made a promise to my roommate
to vacate periodically and—true to

my word—I’m away. My grievances
and inconveniences become cynic wit
as I wait, backed-up, to get back
to my natural habitat.

–Jude Lally,
I’m Fine but Thanks for Asking (2011)
Accents Publishing

More from Jude Lally & I’m Fine but Thanks for Asking:

• “Doorman”
• Writing Challenge: “Tolerance & Greed” by Jude Lally
• Jude’s Lexington Poetry Month submissions
• “Relapse”
• “Dried-Up Inside” 

Jude Lally writes and recites poetry as an outlet for his creative needs and as a means of enlightening, inspiring, engaging and entertaining listeners. Fortunately, Jude’s main source of inspiration in his writing is easily accessible; unfortunately, so many places in the world are not: in 1998 Jude was diagnosed with a rare, degenerative neuromuscular disease called Friedrich’s Ataxia. Jude received a BA in Business Administration in May of 2006. Jude is a member of the poetry group Poezia, occasionally attends The Poet’s Supper and the Artcroft writer’s group outside of Carlisle, KY, and is a regular presenter at the Holler Poets series events.