Tubes Wires Needles

Clear liquid, shoot through your veins

Thump-Thump Thump-Thump

Faster, Faster

The EKG alarms

Swollen limbs, water retained

Take your insulin

Take your medicine

Watch your diet

Write in your journal

Promises,mother, promises

I’ll be better

No

No

No

You won’t

You can’t

You don’t want it

You can’t face it

All is well, I’m feeling better

Oh a wheelchair 

Oh a heart attack

Oh a stroke

Calm yourself, it is just 

Walking Pneumonia

Not death, just your coughing destroys my ears

Your heavy breathing saddens my heart

So your journal lies empty

And I hand you your meter

Your pen

And plead with you

To care for yourself

Hospital, Again?

Really?

How many times is that this year? 

40? 50? More?

Why do you do this?

I don’t understand!

Hospital bills, your children

suffering  

how could you?

I give up

But I can’t give up

I can’t

I don’t want to

I can’t face you dying

I won’t