Three Poems
Three Poems
Will I be Remembered?
The sirens wail in agony,
with my pale body
trapped by the gurney
in a vice-like grip.
Trudging in on Monday,
the maze of cubicles,
decorated with
the same superficial smiles and
the stench of suffocating perfume.
Will I be remembered?
Throat tightens.
Memories
from a forgotten film,
faintly flicker
like gasping embers
of a dying fire:
Familiar bite
of charcoal toast
as I methodically gnaw
at the tasteless cardboard.
Shut window blinds
seal me in darkness,
bars of
my domestic prison.
The beginning of
just another day.
Will I be remembered?
A swarm of strangers besiege the exit.
Mechanical doors groan open
with an irritated sigh.
One by one,
we mindlessly march,
only preoccupied
with our digital companions.
Plugged into our own reality,
hearing, feeling only the sounds we choose.
Alone in a sea of souls.
Will I be remembered?
Will I be remembered?
White light shines brightly above,
frantic voices cut through the haze,
were losing him!
A glimmer of warmth
grasps my palm.
I peek into the chaos
of scrambling blue scrubs,
but catching my eye,
his golden locks,
perching softly to my side.
The noise fades,
leaving only
the innocent motion
of his lips,
barely making out
the answer.
I will always remember you, Grandpa.
My Playdate
I peek in the hospital window,
decorated with toys from childhood past:
Winnie-the-Pooh
waving with chubby fingers,
Buzz Lightyear
flexing with bulging arms.
I make my grand entrance,
with my own instruments of play,
tempting even the shiest of souls.
Risk and Battleship
oh, what a blast!
I step forward with my offerings,
eager for laughs and squeals,
but he stares past,
continuing to sway,
not looking my way.
His parents offer
a forlorn smile as I retreat,
my head bowed,
realizing my favorite things
are not fit for this King.
Soon I return, bearing a gift
with rainbow buttons,
glowing, flickering,
pulsing to its
own beat.
I set the strange
toy before him;
he stares with suspicion,
poking at it
like unwanted broccoli.
Suddenly
the silence is punctured by
the familiar sounds of
twinkling stars and little lambs.
He lurches back
with a yelp,
but soon recovers
from the shock.
He leans in with trembling fingers,
lulled by the lullabies.