kinetic

the ER is a kinetic place
full of activity
loud &

bright

machines beep
sounds of gurney wheels
flipflipflip by the open
door that is covered by
a long curtain

in the waiting room
families wait
for loved ones
trying to keep children
entertained

strained smiles spread
across weary worn & tired
faces

keep the upper lip stiff
trying to be happy &
upbeat
hollowed dark circled
eyes belie
smiles

retreat back to
the ER itself
trying to find some
form of normalcy there

can't

another ambualance
a chopper, too
the gurneys are lined up
no place to put them

nurses call back & forth
trying to find someplace for
the sick & hurt

my father lay on his bed
with an oxygen tube attached to
his nose
doctor comes in examines
him tells us a prognosis
don't want to hear it
scares me a bit more

i don't know how to help
him i feel helpless
i'm scared & feel tired

i ask for a coke from someone
they bring it: coca-cola classic
i pure it over the small
round ice cubes provided in the
small plastic cup
i suck on the coke & ice
hoping for something not sure what

the kinetic controlled choas
continues

there are no rooms available
they'll be sending him to another
hospital they don't know when
sometime tonight, maybe tomorrow morning

there's nothing more we can do
we leave

& go into the cold night
i cough when i breath in the
frigid air my nose & ears
scream in protest of the
cold

we get in the car
& drive home
in

silence

DWC