Sitting up on an unmade bed

The linen had been taken away

Nurse rushes to be everywhere

She’s needed.

My needle in the vein had

Leaked and the nurse repaired

The delicate bandage around:

Wrong shirt she said and placed

Another one ready for the OP.

It’s still early and yet I have

To wash

No need to hurry

Asked Franz to tie my shirt at

The back.

He’s the only one approachable

From the other three patients:

A Young Turk who is impatient

A taciturn neighbour who lies

In bed all day.

Waiting for an OP is part of

Hospital routine.

There are long waiting lists for

Operations

And at this clinic another routine

In place one will become part of

But not always easy to concur with.

Franz speaks his thoughts out loud

For preparing himself for another

Day

While I’m waiting to be wheeled

Into the operating room.

 

A year ago it had been quite

Different then.

One – there was a friendly welcome

Thru’ the head nurse

Second – she let me be part in a

Two-bed room

Where I encountered a talkative

Neighbour

With charisma and great humour.

Perhaps as I was later informed

This type of room is usually given

To patients with add-on insurance

That paid for the attentive services

Provided.

Well great.

The boy from a small village in the

Eastern part of Austria

Having done a round trip of Africa

To return and be cared for medically

At old age.

A story like many bur special thru’

The circumstances.

Maybe just now some more chapters

Will come to me.

 

zoltanzelan

ZJG-POetry’18.