June 6, 2012
From within the ambulance
I saw my mother hail a cab
Her trench coat collar pulled way up
Her brown hair blowing in the wind
Her right arm straight, gesticulating
It was Sunday, Midtown, traffic light
She was ready for a fight
Against the seconds that
Like heavy automatic doors
Would draw my life in to a close.
Her job, to bring the checkbook
Said the doctor, Or she'll die.
There's no time left
To argue in the ER how to pay.
The time ticked by. The ambulance was late
The world had gone all white
And then the sound was red
I vaguely found it odd
The normal howl of New York streets
Was right now clearing way for me
As sound grew dim I knew I had a choice
Hold on or let it go, and slide away
I thought of all the coastal rocks I knew
And how I'd not yet photographed them well
And I decided, as the gurney raced the hall
I'd like to stay, yes, stay
And maybe learn to love as well
Later, in the blurry room
Some underwater voices crooned
That I'd survived
Oh good, I think I said, I'm glad.
I'll live to see another day
And will try to love it better
This new time.
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mlambere
scupper
Dianne Schuch - Lindsey
Poor Woman
hilarad
skypixie0
Salon.com
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