High Above The Pain| Doug Draime Today, I will claim to have the pot flu on herbal medication sitting on my back porch watching a blackbird casually jump from one branch to another. I take another toke as deep bone arthritic pain subsides. Able to move about normally, I get up and walk out to stand under the elm tree to get a closer look at his ballet. The blackbird, pissed off at my intrusion, screeches down at me, zig zagging gracefully to higher branches to get away from this rude, old man, smiling up at it, who is finally high above the pain.