With zero being
why are you here
waiting for hours
for a data entry clerk
to speak to you
and finish
the endless screens,
consent, and
fiscal responsibility forms
after passing
identification and
insurance cards
back and forth
because your emergency
was not your heart
or sufficiently bloody.
And ten being
crucified on the cross
like any one
of Spartacus’
six thousand followers
on the Appian Way
between Rome and Capua
instead of the Christ
on the Hill of Skulls
so the idea
that anyone is saved
anything at all
by your agony
is a foolish notion,
while at the same time
promiscuous adolescents,
with the audacity
to laugh at your state
of helplessness,
throw stones at your ribs
like practicing fastballs
for a major league tryout.
copyright © 2021 Kenneth P. Gurney
Umflop 