Draught In The Passage
I understand you sometimes have to wait
Because they’re not yet ready
The nurses and the doctors
Who must assemble what they need
The sterile instruments
And fill out all the paperwork
Before they can take a look at you
But why must I sit or stand
Out here in the corridor
Amid the antiseptic smells
And the wheeling of trolleys
The cool air creeping underneath
The flimsy floral curtain
Which hangs between me and the world
My rustling paper gown
Flapping open at the rear
To allow them easy access
To all my private parts?
There’s no dignity dressed like this
Procedure-ready
Prepped and medicated
No privacy when I move
Naked within my wrapper
Exposed to all and sundry
Who might observe me from behind
And gaze in silent wonder
At what I might be hiding
The goose-bumps growing bigger
From the anticipation
The suspense of waiting
But mostly from the draught
That blows into the passage
No comments:
Post a Comment