Tiger

I am 74
Talking to
My eye doctor
Who is about forty
As she peers into my
Dilated eyes and I ask her
If she sees any tiger striations?
She replies cautiously telling
Me she has never heard of
A pattern of tiger stripes
On the back of the eye
And I reply in early
1964 I was told
In an eye exam
That I had the
Condition
But I do
Not tell
Her
That the
Ophthalmologist
Who noticed the condition
Mentioned such striations were
Found most often in Negroes
Jews Indians and southern
Europe Mediterranean
Areas which at the
Time made me
Wonder if this
Eye doctor
Were a
Racist
Bigot but
As he could
Easily have blinded
Me I did not inquire further
At the time about his prejudices
Realizing he had been taught
This approach and might
Be just collating data
So I said to him that
I was Jewish so the
Fact that my eye
Doctor did know
Of tiger stripes
Made sense
Since any
Such
Approach
Today would
Reek of political
Incorrectness though
I did wander why she had
Never heard of tiger striations
Which is a condition noted
In medical journals
And a condition
More of a
Danger
To males
But again I let
The topic drop so
I do not have to use
The word Lancet in reference
To some article on tiger striations.