Nurse

I am recovering from
Heart problems in a
Hospital in Austin,
Serious heart problems.
Each noon a nurse
Brings me a tray she
Shoves against my
Tender chest and asks
Me which pill is which
And what do they do,
ACE inhibiter, beta blocker
And so on for a dozen pills.
Two weeks of this and
She pushes the tray
Against my chest
Asking me, “What is
The most important thing?”
I look her in the eye replying,
“The next words to come out
Of your mouth, Ma’am.”
For the first time she smiles
Saying, “You are getting better.”
I suspect she did not expect
Me to last the two weeks
And hesitated to form
Any attachment to
A temporary
Patient,
But I
Survive.