She is lying under her white hospital blanket, her eyes closed

She may even be asleep

She looks serene 

He is on his phone

Doing something or other

The lady across from me seems to be content to just be

And not do anything

I’m listening to calming piano 

Attached to my IV

Which gives me medicine that will heal me

My nurse, a big, tall lady with beautiful manicured nails

Is sitting at her desk now

Doing something on the computer

We are not allowed to have family with us

So, Albert is in the cafeteria

Having driven me here

And ready to take me home

I am grateful

I feel groggy and tired as I type this poem 

Driving would not be advisable 

One of the nurses is with her patient now

Looking at the device that dispenses the chemo right into our veins

Lots of buttons, telling the time and the kind of medicine being dispensed

And tubes that come out of the device everywhere

One such tube is attached to me

And I can see the drip drip of the medicine

Half an hour to go, says the timer

Five weeks of chemo done

Seven weeks to go

But I live my life

And do what I need to and want to do

At a pace I choose

February 15th, 2023