Impossible to spend a quiet morn’
At the shared bedsitter
Of a poet and his fashionista pal
Partnered for a stormy 49 years
The ups and downs of eventful
Lives.
There’s tragedy in B’s life
There’s constant drama in ways
Of staying together:
Economies and friendship are
Steering in an overdrive
A marriage that never had been
Called as one – she stated
And her spouse the artist had
To cope with promising her Mom
Never to leave this marriage.
The escape to the bus offers relief
And the tram ride to the AKH –
Vienna’s general hospital –
Is on good time.
The so called ‘Öffis’ are efficient.
The AKH – a city within a city
With many groups of out-patients
Visitors and white coated doctors
And nurses
Mill along Hospital Street
To the lift banks for the designated
Departments.
The eye-clinic for out-patients
Marked blue
Is located on level eight.
It’s 10:00 and reception confirms
One’s arrival.
The waiting game has started.
At 11:00 one accepts an hour’s time
Spent sitting on plastic shell chairs
Reading the papers.
At 12:00 one becomes restless having
Read even details of the news and
One’s spouse adds more weight to
A stressful wait
Amazed that one is not yet ready
And operated.
Just as one intends to visit the
Nearest toilet
But is afraid to miss the call-up
A blue dressed nurse appears
And calls out one’s name.
She agrees that one has a quick
Pee and as soon as one is back
To the outpatient’s department
To undress and slip into a wide
Hospital shirt fitting xxx-large
People – some present.
Seated in the preparation area
One is well cared for by a nurse
Who is composed
Gentle
Attentive
Administering eye drops
A few times.
Time goes on. The clock shows
13:00. Relaxation time’s
All important.
A few minutes later a tall man
All geared up for the op-room
Guides one to the nearby
Operating room.
Hello there – Prof. S. greets
And soon one is adjusted on
The sophisticated green clad
Table and hooked on for
Measuring blood pressure.
On comes the cover over the
Head and a clamp for the eye
And in short time the bright
Light one has to look into
Is fluctuating and variations
Of a game as in a looking glass
Appear
A waterfall cooling and washing
Invites to dive into a pond.
Prof. S. works efficiently and
With a long experience to his
Expertise and one feels in safe
Hands.
Amazed how quickly the
Operation had been finished
One is speedily taken back
To the recovery room
Where a few patients already
Rest and relax with a drink.
Sitting back on a linen clad chair
The friendly polish nurse attends
With eye drops
Serves a sandwich and a cappuccino
One dozes off having a release
From the long wait and the feeling
That the procedure had been a
Good success.
The patient next to me lauds the
Hospital and the surgeon
He is served a sandwich and also
A cappuccino.
We talk about our experiences
And his enthusiasm makes the
Nurses smile.
Finally a post-operative check-up
By the professore
All’s in good order and time to
Change and go home.
It’s 15:00. The long wait is already
Overwritten by the good feeling
Of having survived the day
Albeit with a bandaged eye one
Has to move carefully.
zoltanzelan
ZJG-POetry’18.