Waiting

Bronwen Eckstein

Before she goes in she says
“Go get some breakfast.”
The hospital restaurant buzzes.
A couple of theatre sisters in paper
shoes and mobcaps giggle over
toasted sandwiches.
Jolly piles of cute cuddly toys smile
on the display shelf.
The waiter beams at me.
“It’s all delicious!”
A large lady with luminous red
hair laughs loudly and picks
her teeth.
The radio babbles a bouncy
ballad – “Happy to be stuck on you!”
All I can think of is abdominal
adhesions.
I order a pie … and cut
through the crust possibly
at the same instant as they
cut into her bowel.
All I see is chunks of meat
and gravy oozing out.
I decide I’m not really hungry.
Actually the pie seems too sad for words
though I can’t see it that clearly. In fact
the whole plate is blurred.
And so is the lady with the red hair.
It seems to be running in streaks all down her head.



LitNet: 19 April 2006

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