Kaiser Hospital, Walnut Creek

This time it was not quite ‘nothing’,
and hearing that, the patient felt a little glow
of relief spread through his body. He was not
imagining things. He noted a desire
to give in completely, collapse, grab
the doctor’s coat and say
‘Please take care of me! ‘,

to give himself
into someone’s care
and be relieved
of the lonely march
down the long corridor of days
to the beat of an alien drum.