A.I.C.D. to those of us who know,.....refers to an Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator. I wrote this at least ten years ago, and revised it today. Not just to bring it up to date, but I know I'm a little better at writing too. Don't expect miracles, OK?

A.I.C.D.

The automatic implantable
Defibrillator,
Draws comparison
To something like
An angry alligator.

It's a guardian of the heart
And it has some discrimination,
But once the threshold is crossed
There's no possibility of evasion.

Imagine, deep inside of you
A reptile in repose,
Just waiting for your ventricle
To forget the things it knows,
The reptilian response
Is intriguing to explore,
That cold blooded, sleeping 'gator
Is just a hungry carnivore.

The device is touted broadly
As the answer to your needs,
Although placement has gotten easier
Everybody bleeds,
And the shock of the employment
When the device might save your life,
Might be that night of nooky
With your happy, smiling wife.

To utilize this gadget
You must understand its' name,
It requires a prescription
In the medical-lingo game,
Thus, discussing ye olde acronym
A. I. C. D. and all,
The medical establishment
Will rally at the call.

The "A" is for automatic
How it determines, when to fire,
It considers heart rate and morphology
And the odds if you will expire,
Taking into consideration
Last will, Trust and all bequeathments,
Calculating death expenses
And subsequent bereavements.

It is commonly felt that "Implantable"
Is the word, best attached to the "I",
But contrary to that opinion
It's a concept I boldly deny,
I contend that it's a part of the
Medical-miracle always a cure over-rate-able,
In an endless array
If you got bucks to pay
For the price that is always inflatable.

The "C" could stand in for anything
But here, it corresponds to your heart,
If your Doctor believes that you need it
You'd better be playing your part,
Doing research on all of the avenues
Acquiring a second opinion, too,
Be your own consumer advocate
Before committing to saying, "I do".

The "D", is up for discussion
Though it's translated, to imply defibrillator,
If you ask me, a better description
Would define it as, de-liberator,
When you think of the dead guys we are saving
Who otherwise would have departed,
When their heart started flippin' and floppin'
And their A.I.C.D. got it started.

If they had reserved a heavenly timeshare
Some years in the far distant past,
There might be a statute of limitation
Because that heavenly place fills up fast,
Thus, you might lose your priority status
And survive, to commit mortal sin,
Losing your passport to Heaven
When St. Peter, won't let you come in.

I'm hoping you take into consideration
The facts I have carefully spelled out,
Debarking on the path of the A.I.C.D.
You must choose, when you have no more doubt,
Remember to visualize the image
An alligator awaits your instruction,
His bite might surprise you during dinner
While his goal is to prevent your destruction.

Fibril_late;
1996 / 2007